


It Can Only Start From Hate

by bhoglin



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Asexual Pidge | Katie Holt, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), F/F, F/M, Gay, Gay Keith (Voltron), M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-03
Updated: 2017-07-01
Packaged: 2018-11-08 10:25:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 23,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11079666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bhoglin/pseuds/bhoglin
Summary: A Keith and Lance romance. Keith lives in his apartment alone, but is constantly disturbed by his neighbor being too loud and always parked in his spot. He meets a cute boy (Lance) at a coffee shop and wants to try to get his number. He finds out Lance is the annoying neighbor he learned to hate.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is just something I wrote to cope with the gap of Voltron Legendary Defenders, because I'm officially obsessed with the show and all of the characters. Enjoy!!!

It was once again that Keith was woken by an ear rupturing song, passing through the thin walls of the room next to him. He turned with a groan in his tangled sheets and kicked himself to the side of his bed. A headache had already formed. He worked late the night before and didn't bother to change out of his black skinny jeans and t-shirt, the material now tangled oddly by his ankles.

His room was small, but he considered it to be cozy. His only owned plant sat on his windowsill, looking out to the highway outside. He would be woken up a few times over the night from passing trucks and loud vehicles on a regular, so when he grasped his one chance to sleep in - he was a tad pissed to have whoever his neighbor was blaring Beyonce at 7 am. He didn’t play the song on a stereo, either. No, he sang every word at the top of his lungs. 

He couldn’t fall back asleep once he was woken up, not when the sun was already out. He pushed himself off the bed and slammed repeatedly on the wall connected to his neighbor. The singing stopped and a small muffled apology was given as a reply. He was surprised it worked and turned to his own bathroom with an exaggerated sigh. 

He splashed water onto his pale skin, leaving drops over his jet black hair. As he began his morning routine, the high note melody sung before started again. With a grumble under his breath, he took his workout bag and reached for his keys, exiting the rickety door with a moment of struggle. The handle often didn't want to turn all the way open. He contemplated in the dusty hall, considering to call out his neighbor for disrupting his sleep. He decided against it, not needing the drama early in the morning. 

With a trudge down the uneven gray carpet, he reached the stairs and entered the lobby. It was empty as always, the sun's bright rays forcing through the clear-ish windows. Only clear-ish because of the dust build up that was ignored for the past few months. The light brown walls were filled with cracks, and mouse traps were placed in every corner. Keith wanted to complain about the appearance and how badly the building was getting taken care of, but with how cheap the rent was, he really couldn’t. 

When he made it to the small parking area, he suppressed an angered scream. He had forgotten his spot was taken by some blue Yugo. A Yugo, for all that is holy. This small blue care forced him to park down the street. He shoved his hands into his pockets, almost stomping all the way to his motorcycle. Now, this was something he could take pride in. God damn Yugo. 

He pulled the helmet off the Kawasaki EX500, also known as the ninja, and placed it over his head with a click on the strap. He started it, waiting a few moments for it to warm up. He could easily admit it was a sexy bike, the black exterior smooth and nearly pristine. He had to buy it second hand since they were no longer distributed since 2009. He had a thing for old stuff. This wasn’t too old, but it was easy to ride for beginners and still had a charm to it he could dig. Way better than a Yugo. 

Keith pulled onto the street with the low rumble of his ninja, making his way to his favorite workout spot. Beautiful trails devoured by tall overarching trees. The birds chirped in every direction and the ponds were always a home for the local ducks to lounge in. A quiet and peaceful park.

Even in the early morning New York had insanely busy traffic. He powered through the cars, making dangerous sharp turns as he swiveled his way through the city. He ignored the honks he provoked and angry civilians that flipped him off. He arrived at the park, stopping near a trail he always enjoyed taking. He slid off his bike and took off the helmet, not caring about his messy hair. 

\--------

The warm comfort of coffee drifted into Keith’s nose, his fingers tapping on the side of his dark pants as he looked past the long line up. He wouldn’t normally go to Starbucks, but the rumbling in his stomach interrupted his thoughts after he finished his hour-long run. He never did eat that morning and should probably ingest something before he toppled over during his shift at ten. Starbucks was the closest to him. He counted his change, re-thinking his choice of food. He took his phone from his pocket, not too worried it being twenty to nine. He looked at the cash registers, wondering what was taking so long. He swore he had been standing in the same spot for ten minutes straight. The conversation became less blurred as he listened. 

Short brown hair tickled near the end of tan ears. It reminded him of the trees and soil right after a rainfall, a soft shine leaving you with the urge to graze your fingers over. His eyes were kind, and though Keith wasn’t close enough to see the color, he thought he could get lost in them. He was tall, looking down at a customer with a soft smile - waving his hands as if trying to explain something. The customer's voice raised, face turning red when he began to exaggerate his motions. 

“I don’t care if you’re out of it! I’ve been waiting for a half hour, and I can’t even order the drink I get every day! I’m a regular, you know! Therefore, I get what I order!” He demanded as he slammed his fist on the counter. 

“Sorry, but that’s impossible. I’ve been looking back and forth at the clock and it’s been ten minutes since… ” The barista said, turning to look at the waiting drink line. “That guy over there. And since we’re completely out of the milk, you can always go to the Starbucks across from here-” The man grabbed the baristas collar, pulling him forward. Keith ran and pushed past the people in line, separating the man's hand with a swift motion. 

“Is there a problem here?” Keith asked, his blue-gray eyes becoming a glare. The angered customer scoffed.

“Unbelievable. I’m leaving, but your manager is going to hear about this.” He threatened, leaving Keith to roll his eyes as he let the man leave the store. He turned to the barista. His eyes were a deep blue, like the ocean when the sun was setting in the fall. Keith cleared his mind in an attempt to focus on his next words.

“Uh, sorry about that,” Keith mumbled, trying to hide his heating cheeks as he started back to his spot in line. 

“Wait!” He called, causing him to turn back. He rubbed the back of his neck, gaze looking in every direction except for Keith. “Thankyou… um, you can take your order right now if you want.” He said, meeting his eyes again. Keith shook his head. 

“Nah, I can wait.” He replied. He hoped he could calm himself down before conversing with him more. 

“No, it’s fine! What would you like?" He insisted, making Keith give up. It was easy to be persuaded by his genuine demeanor. 

“Well, I don’t come here too often. Well, at all actually. I’ve never been here.” He admitted, making his way back to the counter. The young man's face lit up with a wide grin. His heart skipped a beat. God, his skin was glowing. Keith didn’t know skin could look so soft.

“In that case, I’ll get you one of my favorites!” He offered. Keith took a moment to consider.

“I don’t know, I’m pretty picky with my food,” He wasn't not sure whether or not to trust a stranger with his drink choice. 

“Let me guess, you’re a black coffee type of guy?” He guessed it. Keith laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his head as he remembered the mes he caused by driving so recklessly. His hair must look crazy. If it was short, all would be fine. But Keith had an unpopular hairstyle. With it being long and thick, he had a rough time taming it in the mornings.

“You got it,” he said sheepishly, shuffling his feet. “Um, also, what kind of breakfast do you have?” People behind him groaned, no doubt impatient from the wait.

Keith was instructed to wait at the end of the bar. After a few minutes, the young man walked up to him with a wrapped up bag and a drink. He smiled at the smell of the breakfast sandwich. 

“Here you go, Keith!” He chirped and handed it to him.

“How do you know my name?” Keith asked, worried he might be someone he already knew but didn’t remember. 

He chuckled, resting his chin on his hand. “You told me with your order. Your name has to get written on the cup, see?” Keith looked down at the white cup. Like he said, his name was written in black marker. There was a small heart drawn next to it. He must do that for every customer.

“Oh, hahaha, right. Uh, well what’s your name?” He asked. Now he wanted to shoot himself for acting so nervous in front of a cute guy. 

“Me? The name’s Lance.” He introduced with a point to the name tag attached to his green apron. Keith was going to die. Of course he had a name tag. Why wouldn’t he? 

“Okay, well, I think I’ll get going now. Thank you, sir.” Keith was officially dead. He died the moment he said the word sir. Sir. Really? SIR? He snuck one more glance at Lance, his expression like someone looking at a puppy they saw for the first time at a pet store. Keith didn’t want to admit it, but he nearly ran out of the store. He wasn't usualy clumsy, but he stumbled back onto his motorcycle. He tried to forget the embarrassing moment that took place. 

\--------

“Sir?” His older friend laughed heartily. “I mean, if he was older than you that might have been okay, but you think he was your age, right?” He asked, recalling what Keith told him seconds earlier. 

“Yeah, he might have been a few months older, but I'm almost positive we're the same age. God, I should have asked for his number or something!” He complained, cursing his shyness around cute guys. The best flirting he could do was show off like a middle schooler, maybe lower his voice a tad. “Shiro, when are you going to start dating?” He inquired. 

The large man sighed and ran his fingers through the white section of his hair, dark gray eyes covered in stress. 

“When I find a woman who doesn't mind me being away most of the time.” He said with a sip of his water bottle. Keith nodded with a small pout, a tang of guilt surfacing. Keith could live anywhere. He didn't have a lot planned for the future, except for working at a mechanic shop. But Shiro- 

He’s trying to become an exploration pilot. Well technically he is one, but the technology isn't there yet to start an expedition with almost certain safety. “But seriously, you have to go back and ask for that dude’s number,” Shiro repeated in a more serious tone.

“Yes, I want to! But what are the chances of him actually being into guys! Plus his shift probably ended already.” Keith finished his own shift and went straight to his apartment to meet Shiro. They were sitting on a bench in the park, trying to fit in a visit for the time Shiro was back. He’s gone every year and comes back during the breaks, sort of like a school. 

“Just make sure you keep going until you do see him!” Shiro pushed, wanting the best for him.

“Argh, alright,” he grunted. “But if I get yelled at for being a creep, I'm blaming you!” He assured with a turn, the ducks in the distance waddling around each other. “I also have an important question to ask you.”

“What is it?” He asked, looking back from the ducks. 

“Is it true you hide aliens?” Shiro let out an amused laugh. 

“I think that’s area 51.” He smiled, taking another sip of his water. 

“Well, duh, but you guys literally research space and aircraft! You have to know something!” He lifted his arms in the air. “Like, the meteor shower that’s coming up! And the one before! I’ve seen a meteor shower once and let me tell you, those did not look like meteors.” Keith explained, eyes wide with passion. 

“They were blocked by clouds…. I was there.” Shiro replied as Keith felt the heat rise to his cheeks. 

“Yeah well, still! You know anything on the inside?” 

“Even if I did know, I wouldn’t tell you,” he rested farther onto the bench. “Besides, the meteors were what they used to distract from the real ufos.” Keith shot up with a jump. 

“I knew it! Tell me everything!” He said, nearly jumping in the spot.

“Alright,” Shiro stretched and stood up tall. “I have to get going now, so I’ll see you tomorrow right?” He made sure, stepping toward the road. 

“What?! Shiro, you can’t keep me in the dark here!” He followed his tall friend, trying to catch up on his side.

“I’ll see you later, Keith.” Was all he said as he continued to make his way. 

“Fine, fine… You know I can give you a ride to your parent’s place, right?” He offered, calming down. 

“Not with the way you drive that thing. Nuh uh, not today. Seriously though, I’ll speak to you tomorrow.” Keith made an offended noise. 

“What do you mean? I’ll have you know, I passed my driving test with flying colors.” He defended. Shiro stopped at the tall bus pole. Keith was pulled into a tight hug, muscular arms wrapped behind his back. He slowly accepted it. 

“I missed you.” Shiro breathed, pulling away with a sturdy pat on the back. 

“I missed you too.” They grinned with soft eyes. “I’ll get going then.” After exchanging goodbyes, Keith rode back home with a sense of calmness to him. 

\--------

Fury boiled in Keith's blood as he drove into the small parking lot. The Yugo had parked yet again in his spot. The spot he had a parking pass for, and was taken by the damn Yugo for the past week! He took a dangerous U-turn, finding a parking spot down the long hill like usual. He hiked back up steadily with colorful curses leaving his mouth left and right. After finally reaching the top, steam nearly forming from his head, he pulled his keys from his pocket. 

Now, he was always told if he was ever going to key somebody’s vehicle, he had to do it while driving past it so nobody would have proof. But this car was at his home. The parking spot paid along with his rent. He was indigent as he crouched down. As he was about to place the metal object over the blue exterior, he heard a small unsure hum behind him. He turned his head slowly, small pieces of his hair covering his eyes. 

A deep blue canvas of ocean pulled Keith back and forth off a shore, the salt water engraving itself into him. Clear tan skin and short brown hair, the tips ending over his forehead. 

“Yugo!” Keith shouted as he toppled over, barely catching himself through his fingerless black gloves. “You’re from Starbucks! And you own the Yugo!” Keith wanted to puke.

“My name’s Lance, remember?” He kneeled down, a devious grin plastered over his face. “You were supposed to be my prince in shining armor. But here you are, just about to key my vehicle. My beautiful baby that took me more than a year to save up for!” 

“I think a long scratch along the side of the door would be a nice addition to this piece of trash.” He retorted. Lance gasped, his voice becoming squeaky. 

“Get out of my spot!” The lanky male pulled Keith up, surprising him with his strength. He noodled his way past him and unlocked the car door. The scent of musk prickled Keith’s nose. He pulled open the car door and backed into Keith’s chest. “Why are you still here?” He questioned, the two of them squirming out each other's way. 

Keith now stood a few feet away as Lance pulled away. He stuck a thumb down out of his window as he drove away. Keith threw something worse in the air in his direction with his hand. He went back down the long hill to retrieve his motorcycle and drove it back up, and into his rightful spot.


	2. We Tried

Keith was having a bad day. He was woken up by the singing again. The sun wasn’t even up yet, his room a dark shade as he listened to the lyrics of a popular pop song. Maybe if the guy had good music taste he wouldn’t mind as much. He refused to give up and start his morning routine like before. This time he banged on his neighbor's door. He knew whoever was living next to him was still in the shower, so he waited a minute before the doorknob turned. A wall of fog passed through the doorway, a figure slightly taller than him leaning against the frame.

“Are you stalking me or something?” Lance crooned, only a white towel wrapped around his waist. Of course he was the loud neighbor.

“No, but you keep waking me up in the mornings with your insufferable singing.” He replied. Keith crossed his arms as he tried to ignore the small droplets falling down his chest. The way his hair looked so perfect, even when it was soaking wet and covered in soap.

“Don’t you mean great singing? Come on, I have a great voice,” he rested his hand on his hip. “I bet you love waking up to my angelic songs.”

“Yeah no, not exactly. Especially not when the sun isn’t even out yet!” He could feel his blood heat and gestured his hand in the air as if the roof was the sky.

“It’s not like I want to work at 5 am!” Lance countered. He poked Keith in the chest. “You’re not the quietest neighbor either, you know.”

“What? Since when do I make any noise?” All he ever did was work, come home and sleep. Other than running, surfing the internet and going out once in awhile, his life was pretty bland. Lance gave him a confused look.

“You drive up with your loud motorcycle every night! I get woken up at like midnight! It sucks when I work morning shifts like this.” Keith almost felt guilty. But he remembered Lance's habit of singing. Every. Single. Morning. He didn’t even need an alarm clock at this rate. At least he knew he kept himself clean, something Keith always seemed to forget.

Before Keith could say anything back, Lance said, “I need to finish up in here otherwise I’ll be late. So get your emo butt back to your own room, alright?” With a slam of the door in his face, Keith knew he hated that man. A neighbor or not, he couldn’t imagine them ever getting along. Keith made his way back to his room and decided to sleep until the sun actually rose.

\--------

Keith dreamt of killing evil aliens with a long black sword, slicing them back and forth as he watched them fall to the ground. In the dream, he was given a mission to save a prince from another planet and return him home safely. It turned out it was Lance. In the end, Keith left him tied up in the enemy's hideout, not looking back.

His eyes fluttered open, a smile plastered on his face. He couldn’t have asked for a better dream. The sun rays warmed his face as he sat up with a stretch. He took his time getting ready and headed to his bike. When he arrived, he didn’t see the smooth black shining against the bright sky, but bright neon pink sticky notes that swayed from the morning breeze. It covered every inch of his motorcycle. He broke into a run and pulled off one on the notes aggressively.

‘This is parking spot is for cars.’ It had written. He scrunched it in his palm.

“But I still pay for it!” He whispered to no one as he picked off every note. They all had the same message written on it, except a few had ‘CARS’. He could imagine the barista sitting in his apartment writing out every note with a black sharpie. Once he finished, he threw them all into a recycling bin, forming an idea. Oh, it was on.

\--------

The warm wrench turned the loose gear under the car, lifted halfway in the air. With a sigh, Keith wiped his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand and pushed himself out into the open again.

“All done.” He breathed. His co-worker handed him a half clean towel. “Thanks, Hunk.” He smiled kindly back and used a cloth on his own dark tan forehead.

“No problem.” He shrugged, having finished his own duties. “Dude, guess what I’m doing tonight?” He asked as his brown eyes beamed. Keith pointed at his nose then his own. “Oh, thanks, man.”

“What?” Keith asked as he watched him wipe the black grease stain off his round nose.

“I was invited by this girl from school to go this event thing for NASA. Apparently, it’s this huge dinner that takes place every five years or so. I think she said it’s to celebrate people who are retiring or something, but oh god, the food! Apparently, it’s like a huge buffet!” He explained.

“I think I’m going to that too.” Shiro had invited him a while back. He always did when it came to any sort of event he could drag Keith to. Apparently he "needed more friends" and should "talk to more people". 

“What, really? Dude, we have to sit together!” Hunk suggested, excitement radiating from him.

“Sure, sure. But what girl?” Keith raised his eyebrows suggestively.

“Oh, no. It’s nothing like that. She’s not into guys at all. I watched this guy ask her out once, and I swear she almost puked.” He laughed at the memory playing in his head. “It’s more like she doesn’t want her family to suspect her liking girls.” Keith nodded.

“Smart, but she can only go so far with that.” He grabbed his pre-made sandwich from the table next to him and took a bite, the cheese and lunchmeat tasting somewhat old.

“Yeah, that’s true. She also said I could invite a friend, but you’re already going, so I’ll go with my plan B.” Hunk opened his own lunchbox and took out a homemade sub much more appealing than Keiths.

“Who’s your plan B?” Keith asked with another bite of his meal.

“A guy who’s in my mandatory English class. You wouldn’t know him.” He waved off the question. “You’re dressing up, right?”

“Yup. I was told to wear a suit. And put my hair back! Apparently, my natural hair isn’t fancy enough.” Hunk snorted.

“Well, it’s kind of always all over the place.”

“Rude.” Keith joked.

\--------

Oh, his plan was perfect. Immature, but perfect. He did a cliche sort of prank, but hell, it would be an inconvenience to Lance. He stood back and smiled at the blue Yugo covered in plastic wrap. He would have to cut it off, obviously. Hopefully, he didn’t own scissors.

He would normally feel bad, seeing that he isn’t a monster. But his self-absorbed neighbor parked in his damn spot again! Since he was satisfied with his work, he trailed back to his room to prepare for the event.

\--------

Music played from Lance’s room and Keith tried to let it not get to him. He wanted to be in at least a slightly good mood while he was there. He slipped on the only suit he owned, luckily fitting him well even though he hadn’t worn it since high school. Hair was a whole other situation. Simply gelling it back made him look like a greasy player, so he tied it in a small ponytail. He felt out of place when his forehead showed, but he supposed he looked fine enough. Cleaning up the lint he could gather from his suit, he slipped on his dress shoes and made his way down to his bike. He checked the Yugo again. It was still in the same spot, unnoticed.

He left by his motorcycle, arriving at the dinner party thirty minutes later. He slid off and remembered how long it took him to do his hair, and most likely wrecked it by the wind. He adjusted the side mirror to face him, studying how bad it ended up being. Actually, it wasn’t bad at all. A few loose strands framed his features and sat nicely over his forehead, somehow making him look better than he did before he left.

Keith made a satisfied grin. He walked to the large building, a hall people rent out for concerts, birthdays and events like this. He heard music pulsing from the building as voices chattered to one another. Keith adjusted his cuffs, the amount of people in the building making his pulse race.

Long tables with white cloths were lined up, filling almost the entire space excluding the stage and small dancing area. He scanned the fancy clothed people in the room, and the lights on the ceiling that resembled stars. It created an enchanting aura, one that made Keith feel slightly less anxious. His eyes lit when he recognized a fluff of white hair. He sat across from Hunk and a girl with an interesting bobbed hairstyle. He didn’t know the man sitting next to Shiro, but he looked a lot like the girl next to Hunk. He decided to twist his way through the tables, taking an empty seat next to Shiro. He was the one who invited him. Everyone smiled at Keith when he sat, Shiro patting his back and Hunk making a ‘ay!’ sound with a wave.

“You found us! Sorry I didn’t wait outside for you.” Shiro apologized. Keith shook his head with a wave of his hand.

“I’m a little late, it’s all good. Hunk! How do you all know each other! Er, I guess, who is everyone?” He asked sheepishly, almost forgetting about introductions.

“This is the lovely young lady who invited me here, her name is Katie.” Hunk introduced, the girl next to him waving with a small smile.

“You can call me Pidge,” she told him, fixing the strap of her dark green dress. She seemed like an adorable yet evil cat as she elbowed Hunk in the arm. “You owe me five dollars.” She declared, sticking her hand out for her earnings. Hunk sighed and pulled out a five dollar bill. Shiro and the man similar to Pidge laughed.

“You guys bet on me?!” Keith asked.

“Yup. Sorry bud, you’re not one to show up on time for social events.” Hunk explained, the money in his palm disappearing instantly.

“Alright, you guys,” Shiro said with a grab of the group's attention. “This is Matt.” He turned to the man on his right. His smile was kind, somehow warming to Keith’s heart.

“Nice to meet you.” He reached past Shiro and shook his hand firmly.

“You as well. I’m Keith by the way.” He said, almost forgetting to actually introduce himself as well.

“Pidge and Matt are siblings, and Matt works with me at NASA,” Shiro explained. Now Keith understood the connection to everyone.

“Ah!” Pidge shouted. She pulled out her phone and pressed a button. “Hi!” She answered and pointed her finger to indicate she’ll take a minute. Hunk wiggled his eyebrows so only Keith would see and understand the meaning. She made her way to an area she could hear the other end.

“So Hunk, are you and my sister dating?” Matt asked and the poor man almost spat out his water. He placed his glass down.

“No, we’re not, don’t worry about that.” He assured. Matt pouted as he rested his hands on the table.

“Oh no, Pidge can do way better.” Keith joked, Hunk giving him a relieved expression. He could tell he was having a hard time keeping the secret, so he stepped in.

“That’s too bad, she’d be happy with someone as kind as you.” Hunks cheeks turned a shade of pink.

“Where’s your plus one, Hunk?” He asked, changing the subject.

“Right!” He looked at his phone. “I’m not sure, actually. He should be here soon, I hope.” He gave Keith a thankful look. Pidge came back, sitting next to Hunks left. Her smile seemed to have butterflies flying out of her, her eyes shining in places the sun couldn’t reach.

“Who was that?” Matt inquired. It wasn’t a pushy or demanding question, though one arriving at the conversation might assume so. It was pure curiosity, but Keith could tell the light-hearted words crushed her.

“Just a friend from school.” She forced her smile to remain, but it didn’t reach her eyes. That line seemed to be something recurring. Just someone from school. A friend from school, no way it’s someone you know so I’m not going to explain anything further. It was good enough of an answer, but he felt like it only made walls in front of people's relationships. From what Keith knew about this girl already, he could assume she was talking to someone she had a crush on. If she told Matt, they would become closer. Unless he had a bad reaction. Since he still didn’t know either of them, he couldn’t be certain how any of this would play out.

The conversation started to drift, Shiro and Matt talking about a new plan with something to do with their work, and how his parents couldn’t make it to the event that day. He was sad about it but said he understood. But Keith didn’t understand.

“I don’t know if it’s okay to ask, but how come they couldn’t come?” Keith asked.

“Well, the old man isn’t feeling too hot so moms staying to help take care of him. He’s older than he thinks and keeps overexerting himself.” Matt explained. In the corner of his eye, Keith could see Pidge frown, then go back to joking with Hunk about their homework.

“That’s too bad, I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t be sorry!” He brushed away the sadness once in his eyes. “What do your parents do?” It was Keith's turn to have the pinching feeling in his gut. He wasn’t as upset of his family history than he used to be, but every once in awhile it got to him. On his bad days, it was all he thought about. But on his good, it wouldn’t even cross his mind.

“Ah, I’m not sure. I’ve never met my mom. Well, not at an age I can remember. And my dad… anyone could give a good enough guess to where he is as me.” He said, Matt's expression changing into guilt.

“Sorry for asking.” He apologized. Someone on stage holding a microphone began to speak before Keith could reply. They were saying something about dinner starting, but Keith wasn’t paying attention. He thought it was weird how the mood in a room could be changed in an instant. One moment talking about something as solemn as sickness and death, then thinking about what food the buffet had in store for them.

“Hey, are you okay?” Shiro asked. He rested his hand on Keith’s shoulder.

Keith nodded back. “Yup! Just wondering about the food. I’m starving.”

“Same!" Hunk beamed. "God, I hope they have sushi! Oh, maybe even Currie!” He continued to name off more dishes. Someone behind them made a hushing noise, quieting the table again as they listened to the person at the front continue. Keith didn’t realize how quiet it became. Only the person at the fronts voice was audible, everyone in the room oddly intrigued.

A soft giggle sounded in the back of the room. A flirty giggle if Keith ever heard one. He ignored it until it happened again, multiple people turning in their seats. He looked with them, also wondering what was making this girl laugh so much.

Keith's mouth opened.

She was blushing immensely, leaning close to the man who whispered in her ear. He was in a black suit and dark blue tie, his hair the same short style. Why was Lance here?! No, he couldn’t be the guest Hunk invited. Could he?

Keith was worried now, the irritation creeping back that he couldn’t avoid every time he saw him. The speaker even stopped talking now, every person in the room giving their attention on the two. Keith heard people whispering things like ‘Who’s making all that noise?’ and ‘Someone get them to be quiet!’. He felt embarrassment rise from knowing him.

“Lance! Hey, we’re over here!” Hunk shouted. Keith wanted to cover his face with the new attention on their table. Lance looked over with a glance, then smiled brightly. God, he’s annoying. He waved and said goodbye to the girl with a kiss on her hand, making Keith roll his eyes, and prowled his way over with a confident close - mouthed grin. His hands were placed in his pants front pockets, not even noticing the silence in the room. They made eye contact.

Lance's smile was gone, now in the opposite direction. He sat beside Hunk, directly across from him.

“What are you doing here?” He turned to Hunk. “He’s stalking me, and you brought him here.” Lance faced Keith again.

“Just shut up for now and pay attention to the speech you interrupted,” Keith whispered, pointing to the front. Lance didn’t flinch. Instead, his face grew a dark crimson and shrunk in his chair. It was cute. No, wait, it wasn’t cute. It was… annoying. It was annoying.

Sure enough, the order was restored, everyone facing the speaker and listening intently. After a few minutes, everyone was standing in line for the buffet, buzzing with conversation. Their table received a few glares.

Lance and Keith somehow ended up together in the line, Lance in front of him, even though Keith actually arrived on time. Someone bumped him from behind and forced him to walk into Lance's back.

“Watch it, mullet!” Lance muttered under his breath with a weak shove back. That was a first.

“How’d taking off the plastic wrap go?” He shot back. Lance turned around, eyebrows furrowed.

“That took me a half hour to take off!” He complained, taking a step back.

“Good. Now hurry and grab a plate, you’re stopping the line.” Lance did what he was told with a grumble, collecting the first items of food he wanted. Keith grabbed a plate after him. They both piled their plates up until it started overflowing, competing over who had more. When they reached the sauces, Lance reached for the hottest one, pouring a few drops on his food. Keith grabbed it after, pouring more than Lance. He noticed, and took the red bottle from Keith's hand, dumping a whole glob of it. Before Lance finished, Keith took it back while it was still pouring, seeing it was running out. He dumped the rest on his plate with a grin.

Lance huffed, leaving the long food table. When they reached their table, they glared across from each other before taking a seat. Keith looked at his food. It was covered in a red substance which made his stomach churn just by smelling it.

“So,” Hunk started after he swallowed his food. “You guys know each other?” He asked. Keith looked up to see Lance wipe away his disgusted face from looking at his food, into a grimace toward him.

“We met yesterday at Starbucks. Turns out we’re neighbors.” Lance answered shortly as he poked his food with a fork. Shiro choked for a moment, trying to cover up a laugh. Keith forgot he was swooning over Lance just yesterday. Of course he was smart enough to put the pieces together. Matt asked if the big man was okay and Keith looked down to his over sauced food. He made eye contact again with Lance. Their eyes narrowed with a stab into their food piles, shoving the substance in their mouths.

Keith hid a cringe as he tried to chew his food, the spice burning every inch of his mouth. Both of their faces were a bright red. If anyone said anything more, Keith didn’t hear. He didn’t care if what he was doing was stupid, he needed to beat the idiot across from him. So he kept eating and ignored the pain.

“You look like you’re having a hard time, Keith.” Lance mocked as he leaned back in his chair, the pile of his food almost complete. Keith shoved another forkful into his mouth.

“Oh, yeah? You’re the one taking a break!” He spoke through the food, his words a muffled mess. Lance began eating again, his face growing a mix between red and green.

“Whoa guys, eating doesn’t have to be a competition.” Shiro mediated and tried to grab Keith's fork, but he inched away before he could grasp the metal.

“We’re not competing.” Was all Keith said. An evil chuckle came in the direction of Pidge. Keith looked up to see her holding her phone up to face them, no doubt filming.

“Of course not. But keep going.” She said with amusement.

“Katie, that’s not polite,” Matt informed. She pouted and put her phone away as Keith took his last bite.

“Done!” Lance and Keith shouted at the same time, turning some heads toward them.

“I totally finished before you.” Lance placed his fork on his plate.

“Um, no. I finished way before you, right guys?” Keith turned for support, the four people watching them in silence.

“I’d know if I filmed it,” Pidge mumbled and ate a piece of her bread. Keith felt his stomach grumble, but not because he was hungry. Lance stood up in a hurry, clutching his belly.

“If you’ll excuse me, I have to use the restroom.” He sped away, nearly crashing into a woman with a full plate of food.

“I’ll be right back too.” Keith stood, walking in the opposite direction. No way he would be in such a small space with him.

\--------

Keith puked his guts out and assumed Lance did the same. When they came back, the group told him they were all not so politely asked to leave. This is what led them to go to the pub. He felt guilty getting them kicked out just because he had a rivalry with his neighbor.

They all sat in a large booth and Keith made sure this time he and Lance were not sitting near each other. So he sat in between Hunk and Matt. Only Shiro and Matt ordered drinks, which was much needed with their failed night.

The room was dimly lit, and the atmosphere calm. He and Matt were talking about alien conspiracy theories, Pidge and Lance conversing across from each other about a new social media update, and Shiro and Hunk simply getting to know each other. The table went silent when a tall slender woman walked up to the table. White long hair fell over the shoulder of her casual purple shirt. Her dark skin glowed in the lighting, even aweing Keith with her looks. She smiled at Pidge, the girl standing up into a hug.

“You made it!” She let go and turned to face the table. “This is Allura. We met on campus this year, I hope it was fine for me to invite her.” She looked for a response. Matt smiled kindly with a small nod.

“Yes that’s fine, the more the merrier, right?” He said positively, everyone shifting to fit her in the booth. Shiro's cheeks were a shade of pink.

“Allura’s a beautiful name, young lady,” Lance spoke, his words smooth like butter. Keith outwardly grunted and tried not to point out that she’s most likely older than him. “The name’s Lance.” He stuck out his hand. She reached out with a forced smile and shook it lightly.

“Pleasure.” She said, looking around the table. She paused for a moment when she met Shiro's eyes, then turned to Pidge. “How about everyone introduced themselves?” She spoke with a pleasant accent.

Everyone did just that, circling around the table. Afterward, they broke into their own conversations again. Keith wasn’t in any but watched everyone, adding a comment occasionally. He watched how Pidge would watch Allura for a second too long, then look away hastily when she caught her eye. He also noticed how Shiro did the same. His eyes drifted to an area he was trying to avoid.

Lance was looking at him. When Keith made a face that said ‘what do you want’ Lance pointed at him, and then outside. He slipped out of the booth to the entrance of the pub. Keith rolled his eyes, apologizing to the people who had to move out of his way. When he met the cool air, he approached Lance, who leaned against the building.

“What do you want, Lance?” His tone was harsher than he meant.

“You own a motorcycle, right?” He asked.

“Um… you kind of stuck sticky notes all over it, I think you know I own one.” Keith began to loosen his tie, noticing Lance no longer wore his.

“Alright, alright, I’m sorry about that.” He apologized, standing up straight. “I know that we didn’t really have a great start, but I need you to do me a favor.” Keith wasn't sure he heard right.

“I’m sorry, what? Repeat that again.”

“Okay in my defense, you tried to key my car! So really you owe me for not calling the police on you.” This gave him a bad feeling.

“What do you want?” He asked carefully. He wondered why he would even question his method of transportation.

“So… there’s this girl I’ve been seeing.” Keith's heart dropped, though he didn’t know why. “Oh god, she’s crazy!” He grabbed Keith's shoulders and caught him off guard. “We’ve been dating for a month and she’s already talking about marriage! I’ve been wanting to dump her for the past week, but man.” He paused for emphasis. “Her whole family is in a gang! Literally every time I try to break up with her, someone in the gang is always there! Like, someone following her for safety or something!”

“So what does this have to do with a motorcycle? And why would you date someone knowing they’re part of a gang?” He pushed, wanting to get to the point.

“I didn’t know until after our first date! And, well, I was thinking… that if I had a fast way to get out of there, I wouldn’t have to worry about being mauled by someone she knew.”

“Don’t you own a car?”

“Yes, but come on! I can barely go uphill with that thing!” He pleaded. Keith sighed and shook his head. Lance's eyes grew sad and his body slouched. Keith was going to regret this.

“Fine…” He gave in, the taller man cheering while he punched the air.

“Yes, yes! Thankyou!” He pulled Keith into a hug. They froze. He let go with a cough and backed a step away.

“So when do you want to do this?”

\--------

Keith didn’t know why he agreed to do this. He was told to wait outside the girl's house while Lance went in to do the deed. After a few minutes, he got bored and leaned against his bike. He looked around the dark silent street, not a person in view. More minutes passed and he became antsy. What could possibly be taking so long?

The door to the house flew open and Lance ran out with a shoe flying toward his head.

“Go, go!” He shouted as he was chased by the girl whose heart he broke. Keith jumped back on and started the ignition. Lance hopped on behind him, placing the helmet back on his head. He sped away from the screaming girl and turned to the next street toward the pub.

“What did you do?!” Keith questioned, yelling over the motor. Lance’s arms were wrapped around him as he felt the laugh he made against his back.

“I just broke up with her! I told you, she’s crazy!” He answered. Keith didn’t push anymore. They made it back to the pub, everyone's vehicles already gone.

“Looks like everyone left,” Lance said as he walked to his Yugo. He stopped before he unlocked it. “Can this be a truce then?” He asked. Keith was taken aback, not expecting him to give up first. He smiled and nodded back.

“Okay, truce.” He watched Lance smile with sparkles in his eyes, relief releasing from his sigh. “Sweet. I’ll see you later, then.”

\--------

Keith was serious about the truce, he really was. He helped Lance out, and they both surrendered their immature actions. But the moment he heard Ke$ha roaring from the next room over, the irritation came right back. Why, why, why?! Did Lance want to die? Did he want to be murdered? Did the truce mean nothing?!

“Lance, I swear to god if you don’t shut your mouth, I really will key your precious car this time!” He threatened, hearing a squeak from the other side. Good, he heard.

“Oh yeah!” He heard over the thin walls, laced with aggression. That made him jump out of bed.

“Lance, what do you mean?!” He opened the apartment door, the boy sprinting past him with only a towel over his waist and paint bucket in hand. “Oh my god, what are you doing?!” He ran after him, the lanky man too fast to catch up to. They went to the parking lot outside. Lance stood next to Keith's motorcycle, a dripping blue paint brush in hand. “Think about what you're doing.” If the beautiful bike was ruined, he would have to murder him.

“You said we had a truce!” Lance told with a hurt expression.

“The truce implies you don’t scream in the mornings!” Lance gasped in horror. God, they were at square one again. “Ugh, whatever! Fine! Just - don’t put paint on my bike!”

Lance gave a contemplative look. He lowered his arms.

“Fine. I was being rash. Truce?” Lance's smile was soft and trusting. Keith smiled back.

“Truce, buddy. But you know I have to kill you now, right?”

“What?”

Keith lunged at Lance, the blue-eyed man running in the other direction.

“Get back here!” Keith screamed, pace increasing.

“No, I’m not stupid!” He replied, turning into the area Keith hoped for. Lance went straight into a dead end. He turned around and pointed the paintbrush in his direction. “I’m the one with the weapon!”

Keith pounced, smacking the paintbrush away, but not out of Lances grip. He tried to hit his head, but Lance's arm blocked it. He used the paintbrush to slap Keith's face, the paint smearing over his cheeks. They toppled onto the ground, the hard cement scraping Keith's knees. He pushed on Lance's face, his cheek being squished as he was held down.

The hand that held the paintbrush was still free, brushing Keith repeatedly.

“Aargh!” He sounded, becoming more frustrated. Keith was pushed off, his neighbor spinning around to the free himself, and stood with his brush-sword.

“Estás loco, Keith! This is your last warning!” Keith eyed the paint bucket Lance left behind, right next to him. “Oh no.” He grabbed the edge, throwing the thick liquid. Lance tried to run, but the paint splattered all over his backside from his hair to heels. Keith wiped the paint from his eyes, almost bursting out with laughter. “I have to work soon!” Lance sped forward with a war cry, Keith ready with his new weapon in hand.

Lance's shoulder was tugged on and pulled back before they could reach each other. Shiro stood behind him.

“What's going on?!” He asked, only getting a shrug as a response. “I could hear you guys screaming from inside! Someone almost called the cops!” He exclaimed, the two paint covered boys still glaring at one another. “You guys have to learn to get along, otherwise one of you will have to move out. That's not my decision, but if I was the landlord, I wouldn't want to be getting complaints about neighbors literally fighting each other in a parking lot!”

“There's no way we’re going to get along.” Lance decided, wiping the back of his neck as the paint dripped down his fingertips.

“For once I agree with him. We’ll never get along, not when pretty boy here won't stop screeching in the damn shower every morning! How is no one else getting annoyed by that!?” Keith questioned, the more he thought about, the more it fueled his anger.

“For the last time, mullet. I have a great singing voice! And that's because they have a normal sleeping schedule!”

“Enough!” Shiro bellowed. This caused Lance and Keith to flinch. “You two are learning to get along whether you like it or not! Remember that group of people we were all with last night? We’re all here for the summer, and we're spending it together! I'm not having it ruined by nonstop bickering. Allura invited everyone to spend the day together tomorrow. I swear to god if you two make her upset.” He took a deep breath.

“Alright, alright!” Lance complied as he pulled away from Shiro's tight grip. “Don't mind me as I take another shower.” He walked away, leaving blue footprints in his trail. It was only Keith and Shiro now and he felt a bit shameful.

“I'll behave tomorrow, I promise.” And he meant it. Shiro was almost always serious, but this was also about a girl. Shiro sighed.

“Thankyou. I came here because, well…” Pidge appeared from the corner with a small wave. The side of her hair was clipped back, but she only wore a faded green t-shirt and dark shorts. She blew a large bubble of pink gum and popped it, adjusting her large circular glasses.

“I need advice.”


	3. Progress?

Keith took a sip of his iced coffee from the translucent straw. The bitter yet sweet taste brought a shock of cold in his mouth in contrast to the hot air. He and Pidge sat on the grass in front of the small duck pond, her pink gum slabbed onto her plastic cup.

“So…” Keith said, not sure how to ask her what ‘advice’ she needed.

“So…” The girl repeated. Was he supposed to bring it up? She was the one who came to him. He shifted his legs and rested a hand on the ground for support. “You’re gay, right?” He coughed mid sip, almost choking from the blunt question. She waited patiently and watched as he thought of a response.

“Well, yeah. Why?” He asked. He wasn’t sure what a girl he met yesterday could ask for, especially on the topic of sexuality.

“You’ve done stuff with people?” She questioned with no embarrassment. Oh, boy.

“Yeah.” He didn’t know what else to say and lying seemed unkind in this situation. Was it illegal for him to talk about this with her? How old was she, anyway? She attends the same college as Hunk, so at least over 18. “Before we talk about anything I could get in trouble for, how old are you?”

“17.” He was done for. “Please, I just need to ask you some things. My age shouldn’t matter, plus I’ll be 18 in…” she mumbled her next words, “eight months.” Keith wanted to refuse, but her large pleading eyes reminded him of a puppy. He couldn’t not help a puppy.

“Alright,” He sighed, beginning a small internal preparation for an awkward conversation in his mind. “Yes, I’ve done… stuff.” He fought his reddening face.

“When… when do you start to want to do it?” Pidge asked.

“What?”

"Like, I never want to go further than kissing." She tried to elaborate.

“What do you mean?” He couldn’t grasp what she was saying. He understood, but the way it was worded added confusion. Pidge sighed.

“Okay, so when I was in high school I was dating this girl. It was a few months later and she wanted to start doing more than kissing.” She sat up, cross-legged and eyes averted.

“And you didn’t want to?” He inquired, repeating what she said before.

“Yeah. I was never interested in those kinds of things, and I’m still not.”

“Do you think it’s because you haven’t met the right person?” Pidge looked up then.

“I thought it might be that, but I’ve been this way my entire life. Even the girl I like now. It doesn’t just freak me out, but almost repulses me. And people keep telling me that it’s a phase, or that I’m being immature. But--I don’t know what to think.”

Keith hummed. “You mean Allura?” He smiled when Pidge blushed hard. She adjusted the glasses sitting on her small nose in an attempt to look like she wasn’t caught off guard.

“How did you know?” She asked.

“The same way you could tell I was gay, I’m guessing.” That earned a smile.

“I’ve been caught!” She replied with fake excitement.

“Have you ever considered that you might be asexual?” He asked, a small hope of her not getting offended.

She took a large gulp from her drink. “I thought about it. But I really don’t want to be! Whenever people talk about relationships, sex is… like, the thing they look forward to the most.” She scratched her scalp, the thick hair tangled in her small fingers. Keith wasn’t sure what to say. He knew how he felt about the subject, but it was hard to see it from a new perspective.

“Well, if you do start dating anyone, I would just talk to them about it. If you think later you still can’t stand the thought of it, then screw anyone who has a problem with you.” She nodded, her lips tugging upward. “Are you ever going to tell your family about… you liking girls?” She grunted and laid on the grass to face the sky.

“I want to, I do. But my dad’s sick and mom is taking care of him, and Matt is going to be drowned with work when he goes back. If he doesn’t take it well, it’ll distract him too much.” She groaned loudly and kicked the air.

“It’s all up to you. Hell, you don’t have to tell anyone ever, if you don’t want to.” That didn’t work for him because he had a thing for keeping too many things in, and bursting out later. Pidge seems pretty open about things, so juggling one secret wouldn’t be too hard.

“That’s true.” She contemplated for a moment. “But I don’t want any gaps in me and my families relationships.” Keith could understand that. He never got to experience having a family other than his foster ones that always ended up kicking him out. Shiro and his family were always there for him though.

“Honestly, this is your life. This is the way you are and nobody can change that. That fact won’t go away, and if they can’t accept that, they’d be losing a pretty cool person.” He flicked a chunk of her hair. She smiled, a real one this time. He felt like he just won an award in a game.

“Thankyou, Keith.” She punched his arm and stood. “We should get back to Shiro.” She suggested. He remembered the man was waiting in his apartment by himself.

“Good idea. Wanna all get food or something?” He asked, walking back.

“Only if you pay.”

\--------

He felt his body vibrate, a blaring noise shaking him awake. He swore his walls pulsed as they were getting hit on the other side.

“Get up, Keith! It’s time to get ready!” Normally those words would have been nice to hear, but they were being screamed by Lance at nine in the morning. It wasn’t super early like usual, but it pissed him off nonetheless. Why was he the only neighbor who got angry at him? Was he insane for hating his guts for the constant disruption of his sleep? Maybe everyone else had work at the same time as him.

He attempted to cover his ears with his pillow and squeezed it hard. The song still got to him. Keith punched his mattress, creating ruffles in the dark sheets. He pushed himself out of the bed as he blamed Lance for the dark circles under his eyes.

“Come on, Keith! Wake up, Keith! Hurry, Keith!” Lance kept shouting, the sound moving to his front door. Oh, he was going to kill him. He rushed to swing it open, a fully dressed Lance standing with a pot and spoon.

“Don’t you dare,” Keith threatened as he lifted the items in the air. Lance grinned menacingly. The metal pan and large spoon clashed together. Keith made a loud unimpressed sound and slammed the door. 

Back and forth they changed their volume higher until they couldn’t really differentiate either of the songs. Keith made sure he finished getting ready first, texting Shiro where they were meeting up. A few minutes passed, a reply telling him they were going to meet at Central Park. After turning off his music, he went to the lobby to find two people waiting.

“Matt? Pidge?” They turned to him. Pidge’s thin hooded light pink sweater had the alien symbol on the back. “Dude, you're into aliens too!” He lifted his hand and gave her an excited high-five.

“Uh, duh! You’d have to be stupid not to believe.” She gave a look to Matt. “But some people just won’t listen.” He rolled his eyes with a smile, rubbing her already messy hair. “Hey!” She lightly smacked away his hand with a quiet giggle.

“Okay but seriously, what are you guys doing here? I thought we were all meeting up?” Keith asked, trying to choose his words not to sound rude. 

“Did I hear alien?” Lance asked as he strolled into the room. He placed a light blue baseball cap on backward, the short hair on the side of his head sneaking out. He looked like someone from high school he would want to fight.

Pidge ran up to him. “Perfect, there you are!” Keith could already predict what he was going to say.

“Aw, did you guys miss me?” Pidge stopped with an almost disgusted face.

“We came to see if you could drive us all today? Shiro said it would be fine since Pidge doesn’t have a license and I left my vehicle back in Washington.” Matt spoke this time. Lance fixed the sleeve of his denim shirt and nodded.

“Oh yeah, that’s fine.” He twirled his keys around his finger with a grin. “I don’t suppose Keef here wants to carpool too?”

“Do you want to get punched?” Keith gritted. As if he would ever step foot into that stupid car. And if he got called that one more time.

“Suit yourself, mullet.”

“Actually, Shiro said it would be easier if we all went together. Parking can be tough down there.” Keith laughed at Matt's words.

“Umm yeah, I don’t really trust this skid in my car. He can go alone.” The lanky brunette brushed off and started toward the door. He’s not going to get away with that comment.

“Fine, but I’ll make it there ten times faster than you. With the way you park, you probably can’t even drive straight.” He shot, Lance pointing a glare.

He crossed his arms. “Let’s race then!”

\--------

The smell of the car's interior reminded Keith of his childhood. When the car sat in the sun for too long and accentuated the scent of the seats. The small pebbles of sand stuck in them, making you wonder how they were still there even after you vacuumed it out.

It was well used. Even though he owned it for a short amount of time, you could tell he cherished it. The inside was clean enough, only a few smudges of dirt and fingerprints here and there. Lance slipped into the Yugo like it was his home, driving effortlessly down the busy street.

Hunk ended up meeting them outside, apparently wanting to ‘join them for the ride’ and that ‘this will get everyone to bond’. The last thing he wanted was to bond with Lance.

He didn’t realize he was watching the driver until he spoke; “Want something?” His face went red, looking out the passenger window.

“I’m just wondering why you haven’t passed this line of traffic yet.”

Pidge snorted from the middle seat in the back as she crossed her legs, Matt to her right and Hunk to her left. Keith tried to let Hunk sit in the front, but he insisted that he would eventually get along with Lance if they keep spending time with each other. He doubted that, but he didn't want to argue with his friend.

“Just because Shiro called and scared you into coming with us, doesn’t mean you can ridicule my driving skills.” Said Lance.

“He didn’t scare me!” He defended, sitting up straight. “At least I don’t listen to this crappy music.” The lyrics of a new top forty song played softly until Lance cranked it up, rupturing Keith's ear drums.

“That better?” He turned down the next busy street, stopping abruptly before a truck stuck in a traffic jam. Pidge had to hold herself on the back of their seats so she didn’t get plunged forward. Keith reached for the radio and changed the station, rock music blaring.

“God, what made you like this kind of music?” Lance changed the station back to the old one, the annoying three step formula ‘music’ torturing him.

“Just choose music you both like!” Pidge shouted over the noise. The two in the front seat started at her outburst. Hunk seemed startled too, poor guy.

But, he didn’t think of that. He doubted they would find a station they would both enjoy. Lance mumbled as he turned the circular button, searching through the stations. He stopped at an acoustic-like harmony, turning to face Keith.

“How’s this?” He asked. Keith crossed his arms and nodded.

“It’s alright.” He said shortly.

“God, finally,” Pidge commented, her brother whispering to her to be more patient.

A few moments passed and the car moved up an inch. Keith began tapping his foot, agitated for actually having to sit in traffic. Normally he would swerve through it, finding any opening he could find and take it. One like the small gap in between the truck and minivan keeping a too safe distance from the car in front of it. The Yugo was pretty small. Not as small as his bike, but small enough to make its way through this. 

“Drive through that gap,” Keith instructed, turning down the radio to a low hum. Lance’s expression was grim and sour.

“What? No!” He refused, moving up another inch. “I’m pretty sure that’s illegal.” He turned back to the road and huffed.

“Do you want to be stuck here all day? And what’s going to happen? Nobody’s going to call the cops on you.” He insisted, Lance not budging.

“That’s stupid! Just try seeing it from my perspective. I can’t afford a ticket right now, okay Keith?”

“I’d like to see things from your perspective, but I can’t seem to get my head that far up your ass.” He grumbled, Lance looking at him with shock. Pidge burst out laughing, her brother trying to shush her again while Hunk held his hand over his mouth, shoulders shaking.

“What’s your problem, man!” Lance's voice raised.

“Ooh, I see. You’re just scared, right?” He pushed.

“Don’t do this.” His face grew with anger as he shook his head.

“I bet you are. That’s why you only sing Beyonce and Ke$ha.”

“That doesn’t even make sense!” Lance pushed on the gas, turning and squeezing past the two vehicles, now in between both lines. Cars honked as they drove forward, multiple people flipping the bird in their direction.

“Um, I don’t know if this is safe,” Matt spoke up as they weaved through.

“Definitely not safe, Lance!” Hunk commented. Keith had to admit, he was a little impressed. It’s easy to do with a motorbike, but a car was a whole different playground. Keith turned to see Matts concerned expression as he quietly apologized to the passing vehicles. Pidge held an almost evil grin, most likely adrenaline from not experiencing this kind of driving often at all.

They made it until the light turned green and went down a fast paced highway again.

“Wow… I didn't think you could actually pull that off.” Keith admitted. Lance smiled, though he could tell he tried to suppress it, a tinge of pink on his cheeks.

“Well, yeah- everyone knows I'm great at driving. I'm just glad we're out of that terrible traffic.” His grip lessened on the steering wheel, leaning more into his seat.

“Remind me to get one of you to help me if I get involved with a heist,” Pidge said while she tugged softly at a piece of his and Lances hair.

“Totally. But only if we get a share of the money.” Keith added, Lance and him smiling carefully and unsurely at one another.

Hunk made a nauseated noise and covered his mouth, “Uh, guys, I think I'm gonna be sick.”

“Should I pull over?” Lance asked, turning on his turn signal.

“No, no, I'm good.” He declined and Lance turned his signal off with uncertainty. He made another sound from the back of his throat and placed his hand over his mouth again. “Okay yeah, I'll take you on that offer.” Lance almost didn't make the turn, speeding roughly to the next street with a squeak of the tires.

“No, stop, you can’t turn here!” Keith warned, but knew it was too late when he heard popping sounds and felt the car sink an inch. They were no longer moving.

“What just happened?!” Lance squealed, opening the door and hopping out. He cried out as Hunk and Keith left the vehicle. Hunk ran to the side to puke and Keith rubbed the back of his head as he observed the four popped tires, just past the line of sharp spikes. “I can't afford this!” He crouched down and pulled off his baseball cap. His fingers ran through his hair as he poked a deflated tire with his other one.

“Hunk and I know how to put on tires,” Keith said. He felt somewhat responsible, being the one who egged Lance on in the first place, causing Hunk to be sick. The crouching boy looked up, “And our work has extra tires always lying around. I'm sure if a few go missing no one will notice.” That, and they usually get permission to take tires as they please anyways.

Lance shot up and ran to the other side of the Yugo to where Keith was. He was crushed by the hug he became engulfed in, feeling his legs leave the ground. “Gracias, Keith! Thank you so much!” He praised, eyes crinkled through his wide smile. He noticed his skin was oddly soft from the brief contact. He smelt like shampoo, and that scent when you sat in the sun for some time.

He was placed down again and tried to regain his composure, but felt a small blush when he saw Lance's smile. The way his eyes squinted, lips somehow still a perfect shape. It wasn't like his normal smile, the one where he always seemed up to something.

“Yeah, no problem.” Lance probably noticed Keith's red face, because when he looked up his was as well.

“Hey, lovebirds. It looks like we're going to have to push the car somewhere other than here.” Pidge pointed out, only enhancing the heat in their faces. Hunk trudged back with a sigh.

“Yeah, she's right. Across the lot should be fine enough.” He went to the left end of the car and placed his hands on the bumper.

“I'll get this end.” Matt went to the left bumper.

They all began to push the car while Pidge directed them to the McDonald's parking lot. They decided to leave Matt and Pidge at the fast food restaurant and let Hunk, Lance and Keith bus to their work and pick up the tires.

The way there was oddly calm. Lance spoke easily to Hunk, conversing about their school work. They seemed to light up the bumpy bus with their easy attitudes and the way they got along so flawlessly. Hunk would always laugh at what Lance said, genuinely enjoying his company. Maybe Lance wasn't as bad as he thought.

When they got to the shop, Hunk carried two tires as well as Lance. Luckily, through the giant pile of extra tires, they found the right size.

“I can carry one.” Keith offered, reaching for one of them.

Lance pulled it away from him. “Nope! You're both helping me out here, so I should do more work.”

“But I'm only holding the tool box!” Hunk just laughed at him as they walked back to the bus stop. He gave up. If Lance wanted to be kind, he’d let him.

Back at the abandoned vehicle, Hunk and Keith set up the jack to support the front end, each loosening the hubcaps from a tire.

“Thanks again.” Lance crouched next to him and watched as turned the jack, lifting the tire from the ground.

“It was partly my fault, so I feel obligated to help.” He tried to sound as nonchalant as possible, but it came out forced and almost awkward.

“Oh.” Lance touched Keith's forehead, moving his hair from his face. He looked into his blue eyes, waiting to see what he was thinking. When their eyes met, he backed away. “There was a smudge…” He mumbled, tripping to where Hunk was. Keith grabbed his forehead, his skin heated and red.

After a while, they replaced the tires and all walked to where Pidge and Matt were, trying to avoid the heat of the sun.

Air conditioning grazed their skin. It created goosebumps on Keith's arms, the chilly room making him tug down the sleeves of his light blue flannel. They retrieved the two siblings and all hopped into the vehicle.

Keith insisted Hunk to sit in the front this time, mostly so he couldn't get riled up again. The drive back was better this time, Lance commenting how the tires seemed to be better on the road than his last four.

Finally turning into Central Park, they spotted Allura and Shiro sitting next to each other on a beach near the entrance. They were laughing, listening intently to each other. Keith turned to Pidge, unable to read her expression.

They left the Yugo, walking to the two others as they stood to greet them. Everyone exchanged hellos.

“So, what are we wanting to do?” Asked Shiro. He stood close to the elegant girl.

“We could walk around the park! It's so lovely out today!” Allura suggested as she raised her sunglasses to sit over her head.

“That sounds great!” Matt smiled, looking for input from everyone else.

“Ugh-- yeah, nature isn't really my thing,” Pidge said, scratching her head. “A new horror movie came out today! I vote we do that!” Lance nodded in agreement.

“I've wanted to see that for so long! Yes, I vote that too!”

Shiro, Allura and Matt exchanged wary looks.

“But Pidge, it was Allura who invited us all out,” Matt said, making Pidge scowl.

“Oh no, it's fine! If you want to see a movie, that's fine! We could all meet up for something afterward. Then we'll all get what we want!” Keith was glad Allura was level headed, unlike a few of them.

“Okay, if you're fine with that.” Shiro placed his hand on her shoulder. Pidge stiffened, but Allura didn't seem to mind. She almost leaned into it.

“So, Pidge and I will go see the movie. Anyone else?” Lance looked at Hunk.

He nodded. “I don't like scary movies, but I think it will be fun.” More like he didn't know Matt, Shiro or Allura at all and felt awkward spending the day with them. Keith brought his mind back and saw that everyone was looking at him. He was friends with Shiro, but he knew everyone in the other group.

“I'm down for a movie.”

\--------

The lights went dim in the theater, the audience silencing for the trailers. Keith shoved a pile of buttered popcorn into his mouth as he watched the screen in front of him. Lance sat to his left with Pidge on his right, and Hunk on hers. Pidge seemed happy enough in line for the concession, but now she sat with her arms crossed, not even looking at the screen.

“Are you okay?” He whispered, the girl turning to him with a shrug.

“I don't know. It's only been a day since they've known each other, but I can tell she likes Shiro.” She looked away and blinked a few times. “I already know she doesn't like girls. But it still hurts, you know?”

“Oh yeah, that's happened one too many times.” Keith had his fair share of having crushes on straight guys and it didn't feel great.

“It's fine though… I think I need to figure myself out first.” She turned away with a sniff, discretely wiping her eye. He wasn't sure what to do. He wasn't the best with comforting people, not when he couldn't even comfort himself. She faced him again, smiling. “They do look cute together.” She said through a laugh and looked back to the screen.

Ten minutes passed, a creepy soundtrack beginning on the screen and the room was black. The movie was a typical chainsaw murder, with bad acting and too many unimportant characters. Keith could no longer count the amount of cliches on his fingers.

It was a scene where the main character was walking in a dark hallway, blood covered the walls as they tried to find their friend. He could practically count the seconds to when the jump scare was going to happen. Ten. Nine. Eight. He heard Lance bite his popcorn.

Seven. His eyes were glued to the screen. Six. God, he was eating the movie up. Five. The colours of the screen flashed on his skin. Four.

He looked kind of cute, the way he was leaning closer to the screen the farther the character went. Three. Keith began to smile. Two. Lance opened his mouth as he reached in his popcorn bag. One.

His hand was on Lance's cheek, grazing his lip as the blue eyes met his. The jump scare happened, Pidge and Hunk flinching in their seats. But they didn't break contact as Keith leaned closer, swallowing slowly. Lance didn't back away, but sat still and watched as Keith moved inch by inch.

A shriek of a violin sounded off the screen. Lance's elbow flew up, smacking Keith straight in the nose. He made a pained noise and clutched his stinging nose, feeling a warm liquid fall down.

“Are you okay?” He heard Lance ask. He didn't reply and stood up from his seat. He didn't answer Pidge and Hunk when they asked where he was going. He shimmied past the seats and left the dark theater into the light hallway. He looked around for a sign for the washrooms, not sure what direction to go. “They’re this way,” Lance said. Keith spun around, unaware that he was followed out.

He ignored his burning red face and walked to the direction he was told after nodding to him. They entered the bright room and Keith cleaned the blood from his face from the tap.

“God, I’m so sorry.” He leaned against the counter.

“I-It’s fine.” He was now officially dead from that stutter. Why was he a magnet to awkward situations? And mostly with Lance? He almost wanted to pray that Lance wouldn’t bring up what just happened.

Lance lifted his cap and scratched his shiny brown hair. He placed it on again and sighed. “Can we be good now? Maybe start over?” He asked, looking at his shoes. Keith turned off the tap and pulled down the paper towel, wiping his face, then blocking the incoming blood.

“Yes, please. I think that’s a very good idea.” He was relieved. Their petty rivalry could be forgotten at last. “But the parking situation.” He looked up to Lance's smiling face, sparks practically shooting from his eyes.

“Wanna share it?”


	4. The Birthday

Two weeks went by since the rivals made up. The parking spot war was finally solved, and Keith honestly hadn’t been this happy in ages. They decided to share the parking lot, luckily Lance’s car was small enough to squeeze Keith’s ninja next to it. It was a unique relationship they shared. Sometimes one of them would arrive when the other was leaving, and each time they would smile at each other, stopping their routines to talk. They would always chat for almost a half hour at times, mostly about the weather or Keith answering questions about certain noises coming from Lances engine, which would usually be issues that were an easy fix. He would volunteer to repair it for him, taking longer when he worked on it then he would at work. He found he rather liked Lance's company and usually got lost in conversation.

Lance was funny, charismatic and confident. He teased Keith so many times he already lost count, but oddly enough he didn’t mind. He would feel irritation, but somehow a wide smile appeared without his permission. He even started going to Starbucks every morning so they could talk, taking so long until customers would start complaining.

They didn’t dare bring up the movie theater. Keith couldn’t stop thinking about it nonetheless. When he was alone, he would cringe at how much he wanted to kiss Lance in the moment. But when he watched how Lance's smile turned sly as he teased him, or the way his hips swayed when he was exaggerating a story and placed his hand on Keith's shoulder. The touch. Keith would feel a physical effect. Practically a shock from the universe, screaming at him to lean into it. To follow the fingers with his own, up his arm to his shoulder. To lightly graze his neck, cheek, and soft full lips. To lean in…

Keith shook his head as he stood from the motorcycle seat, the leather jacket rubbing under his arms. He kicked down the stand and placed his helmet on the handle. He came back from his usual morning run. Today and tomorrow were his days off and he intended to spend them sleeping. Hopefully.

Lance’s vehicle wasn’t in the parking spot, most likely meaning he was at work. He looked at the empty space for a moment, then began to walk up to his room. A buzz in his pocket distracted him, pulling out the small device. It was a text from Shiro.

‘Are you busy tonight? We just found out something very important.’

Keith began to type back, unsure of what Shiro had in mind. ‘No. I just got off work. What’s up?’

‘Hunk found out today is Lance’s birthday. Make sure you get him something nice ;)’ He blushed at the ideas rushing through his mind. God, Shiro why do you do this to me.

‘Ha. Ha. What are the plans?’

‘Just meet Matt at this address as soon as you can. He’ll explain everything else. Oh, and don’t forget an extra pair of clothes! Just in case.’

‘Alright. I’ll be there in a couple hours.’

He decided to do what he was told and buy Lance a present. A suitable one, obviously. He hopped back onto his bike and drove to the closest mall, with no idea of what to buy him. Was it fine for him to get Lance a present? They were on good terms now. Great, actually. But he wasn’t sure whether or not Lance would mind. They haven’t known each other for long, but birthdays are pretty chill, right? He convinced himself it was fine when he arrived at the mall.

It was cold, crowded, and literally every teenager glared at him when he passed by. He forced himself to stay focused on the task at hand, instead of teaching the punks a lesson. It took him longer than he thought, entering multiple stores and not feeling like he should give Lance a new T-shirt. A group of girl workers were convinced he was buying something for his significant other. He blushed, more than he should have, and they wouldn’t leave him alone until he found a gift. The perfect gift, actually. When he finished, he left for the address Shiro sent him and arrived near mid afternoon.

\--------

He stood at a tall abandoned looking building, vines wrapped around each corner, the green almost blending into the gray stone. He had seen buildings like this before around the city, never having considered actually entering any.

Matt was waiting at the front door, waving at him politely when he walked up.

“So, what are we doing here?” Keith asked, not entirely sure why they would have the party here. He wanted to believe they sent him the wrong address, but seeing Matt waiting for him there deterred that thought.

“This is where we're having the dinner tonight,” Matt said, holding onto the doors handle. He tugged once, the door resisting to be opened. “I left once you texted Shiro that you were leaving for here. He’s off buying a few supplies with Hunk.” He pulled again with more force, opening it to a dark room. He stepped in, reaching blindly for a light switch. He flicked it on with Keith following him in. Dust coated old couches and window sills. An acient rug was between a small coffee table that held empty pop cans.

Matt walked to one of the windows, noticing it was covered with boards. He tore it off easily, the light from outside seeping in.

“What is this place? Is it okay for us to be here?” Keith asked as he looked around. The staircase in the corner seemed to be blocked off with more nailed wood.

“It's our old hideout.” He breathed, standing next to Keith again. He wiped his hands on his jeans. “Mine and Shiro's, I mean. When we were kids, we found this place and fixed it up. Which was probably stupid, considering people could have already been in here selling drugs or something.” He chuckled as he reminisced. “We would set up our game station and steal the power from the next building over. A few years later, Pidge found out and made us let her hang out with her friends here. When I say made, I mean with blackmail.” He laughed again, rubbing the top of the old flower patterned couch, a layer of dust left on his finger. “I left after I graduated from high school. I guess Pidge stopped coming here, too.” Keith could tell the space was well used. Comics were laid next to the two couches with what seemed to be an old blanket, crushed pop cans spread across the floor with a deck of cards fallen near the table.

“So we're going to fix this this up?” Matt smiled in response and waved him to follow. He stepped over the the blocked stairway cautiously, making his way up to the next floor.

“Yes,” he turned a door handle at the end of the stairs with ease. “But this is the best part.” He opened it with a creak. It was a good sized balcony, an old wooden table in the middle with matching chairs around it. The vines from the outside of the building crawled over the metal rails. But it wasn't the best thing. The view overlooked a few tall buildings and a large grassy field. It was rare to find an area in New York that didn't have stores or apartments, not without it being an official park or construction zone.

“Wow… and this is all for Lance?”

“Well, it's also kind of a get together for me and Shiro coming back. When we found out it was Lance's birthday, it reminded us of this place. The last year Shiro and I were in New York, we celebrated here as a goodbye. Plus, I have a good feeling for this group. Like we’ll all become pretty close friends with each other, and it'll stay that way for a long time.” He smiled at Keith and placed his hand on his shoulder. “So you wanna spend the day with me cleaning up?” Keith gave him a forced smile, but also felt a tinge of excitement. If it was for Lance, he wouldn't mind.

It was almost dinner time now, and Keith was proud of himself. The area that was once messy and crowded actually seemed liveable. He and Matt started with cleaning the first main room. They swept, mopped, washed the couches, dusted like hell, and took the boards from the windows so they could air out the room. After, they cleaned the balcony. That was a whole other issue. They found moss in the corners and cracks of the walls. They decided to keep it nonetheless, giving the room a comfortable feeling. They also went out and bought white Christmas lights and hung them around the thin metal bars off the rails, as well as the walls, a few dangling over like a small roof.

“Okay, I got it bro.” Keith nearly jumped out of his socks, turning to see Pidge in the balconies doorway.

“Jesus, Pidge!” He clutched his shirt over his heart. “When did you get here?”

She grinned evilly. “You'll never know.” She probably avoided helping for a while. Spotting Matt crouching and connecting extension cords, she said: “Yo, Matt! I finished the wiring, so this place can get electricity now!” He looked up with bright eyes.

“Yes!” He plugged the plethora of extension cords into the wall, the lights twinkling softly against the evening sky.

“We did it,” Keith said, feeling excitement rise in his chest.

Matt stood up after unplugging the lights. “Do you think you could pick up Lance? It's less suspicious if someone just gets him rather than us telling him to go to a random abandoned building,” He explained, pulling out his phone. “I'm just going to call everyone else to get them over. Could you please, Keith?”

“Yeah, of course.” He nodded, already half leaving the room. “I'll be back in a bit.” He traveled down the stairs, pulling out his phone.

‘Are you home right now?’ He texted Lance and began to drive to their apartment building. He wouldn't mind the somewhat long drive to pick him up and take him there. Not because he enjoyed his arms wrapped around his waist, or how close his face was to his neck.

He drove up and noticed the blue car still sitting in the parking spot. No response on his phone. He must be sleeping. Keith walked with a skip in his step up to Lance's door, knocking twice in a row.

What if he had plans already? Maybe he would feel uncomfortable that people he wasn't familiar with were throwing him a surprise party.

Keith knew Lance pretty well at this point, and he was sure he wouldn't outwardly complain. He learned whenever the room got tense, he would do whatever he could to make everyone lighten up. Well, not when the aggression was pointed at him.

He knocked again with no answer, and after a minute he slumped against the wall across from the room and called him. He tapped the side of his phone repeatedly after calling him twice with yet again no answer.

“Ughhhhh,” he voiced, knocking once more. He gave up with a worried feeling in his stomach. Lance always responds to his text messages. They texted almost every day. His nerves exploded every time he heard the buzz of his phone, seeing if it was a new text from Lance. When there was no sound at all coming from his phone, no notification. He felt wrong.

Keith didn't know if it would help at all, but he started driving around the streets. Maybe he would coincidentally find Lance walking somewhere.

Arriving at the Starbucks parking lot, he walked into the coffee shop and couldn't find him. No surprise there, but when his co workers said he didn't show up for his morning shift, Keith began to feel anxious. Nothing seemed right, with the car left at home, and unanswered phone calls.

He sent a quick text to everyone in his new friend group about the situation. His phone began to buzz in long lags. Without looking at the caller ID, he swiped right and brought the device up to his ear.

“Lance?!” He spoke louder than he wanted to in a Starbucks parking lot.

“Just me.” Pidges voiced, Keith rubbing his strained eyes.

“Did you find him?” He asked.

“No. But do you have Keith on find your friends?” Keith shook his head even though she couldn't see.

“Ugh, no. We've known each other for not even two weeks. You have anything else in mind? Like where he might be?”

“I'm already on it. The find your friend's app would have just been faster, but this works too. Okay, so I just enter in his number… searching… there it is!” Keith felt his shoulders lighten. “Okay, I'll text you the address his phone is at! Text me when you find him!” She hung up, a buzz from a message sent to his phone. He didn't waste a moment and jumped onto his bike. He recognized the address, but he couldn't exactly pinpoint why. He sped down the highway faster than he normally would with sharper, less precise turns.

Twenty minutes later, he found the street from the text. Now he knew why he recognized it.

It was the girls street that Lance broke up with. But why would he be there? He slowed down in front on the house, remembering what he said about her entire family being part of a gang. He didn't want to risk knocking on their front door. Damnit, Lance! Why didn't he answer his phone at all! It just makes it more suspicious. He waited, minutes passing by as he contemplated walking up. But maybe the name Lance was still a sensitive subject.

Someone barked orders from the back yard. He parked a good distance away from the house, watching as four men went onto their sleek motorcycles. They pulled out of the driveway, all going into different directions. A girl with long blonde hair was crying in the front doorway now, waving off the man who Keith guessed was the one who was yelling earlier. He heard the hums of the bikes turn back onto the street again. When they passed and went into different directions, almost circling around the neighbourhood, he knew what was going on. They were looking for someone, and it was most likely Lance. Keith started up again when it was clear; so he could do his own searching.

He would try to go down the streets they haven't gone down yet. Which was hopefully back toward the apartment. Lance would probably try to head there first, at least to get to his own vehicle. It might be stupid though, considering they could easily send guys to wait for him there. It was the only idea Keith could think of. He didn't know the places Lance goes to other than his work and home, so he had to take his chances.

He drove around the neighbourhood and felt hopeless. It's a big city, so of course he couldn't find Lance. Maybe he was actually in the house like the GPS said.

A faint scream came from behind him. He stopped in the middle of the empty road and turned his head, not seeing anything. The sound of engines grew near. A figure turned the corner sprinted toward Keith. It was normal screaming at first, but it began to form words. Keith's name. Lance! He spun around, racing toward the boy wearing Adidas sweatpants and his normal blue and white baseball shirt. He must not have gotten a chance to change.

Black and silver motorcycles turned onto the street behind Lance, ripping toward him. Keith sped up, determined to get to him first.

He rode past him to turn- locking eyes. The world slowed as he was caught in the net of ocean blue. They turned from fear to relief. Keith's stomach was full of butterflies. Turning with a screech of the tires, he stopped next to Lance so he could hop on. Lance didn't wait, jumping on and strapping the spare helmet to his head. He wrapped his arms around Keith's waist tightly.

“Go!” Lance ordered, resting his chin on Keith’s shoulder as he started the wheels forward. He ignored the speed limit, watching as the monitor increased by the second.

“Hold on.” He told him, feeling Lances grip tighten around him. He grinned, leaning forward. The light scent of musk drifted from Lance's neck, the force of the wind pushing his hair from his face. “So, what the hell is going on?” he asked, turning a corner.

“That gang family totally kidnapped me from my home!” He yelled over the motor, the family chasing them slowly quieting as they weaved their way out of grasp.

“What?”

“I was kidnapped!” He repeated.

“No, I mean--how, why?” He asked.

“I was just about to get ready for work, but they literally picked me up and brought me back to their place!”

“Wait, wait, wait. You’ve been there since this morning? What the hell did you do the entire time?” He honestly couldn’t think of what they could have done. He began to slow down once they got near the destination.

They made me go on a date with her. God, it was so boring! I mean, it was fun--but it wasn’t… the person I wanted it to be. I guess… ” He said, speaking softer. Keith wondered if there was any chance he meant him. After leaning the bike on the kickstand and taking off his helmet, he stood and faced Lance, who stayed sitting. He pulled off the helmet and held it in his hands, studying the object.

“So… who is this person?” Keith asked, Lance’s face turning beat red.

“Oh, yeah, that. N-nobody.” He looked up, fixing his tangled hair. He felt like the street went quiet, a small green leaf surfing over the pavement. “So, where are we?” Lance inquired, slipping off the seat.

“Just come into this building here with me, I need to grab a few things.” He said, sending a text to Shiro saying that they made it.

“It’s fine, I can just wait out here.” Lance looked up to the setting sky.

“It’s pretty cool in here, I think you should see.” He insisted, hoping Lance would take the bait.

“Why, so you can jump me?” He questioned with a wink and cunning grin. Keith’s face began to heat up.

“W-what, no!” He stepped back. “Why would I do that?” He felt flustered to the point he could punch himself in the face for being so nervous around him.

“I was just teasing!” He almost felt a tinge of pain in his chest. “Fine, I’ll go in with you!” Lance’s ears were red now. God, they were both wrecks. They walked to the front door, Keith forcing it open. The room was the same as before, the two couch’s in the middle of the room, some sort of mini bar on the end now had red solo cups stacked up. “Woah, what is this place?”

“Just...” He wasn’t sure what to call it. They walked up the stairs, reaching the door. Keith grabbed the handle, blocking the outside with his back. “Something for you.” He opened the door, a cheer of ‘Happy birthday Lance!’ behind him as they stepped in. He watched as Lance’s smile grew so wide he almost felt a sense of pride for being part of this. The lights looked like stars against the purple and yellow sky. Hunk was setting down plates of kabobed meat and spaghetti, Pidge and Matt sitting next to each other at the table while waving at the birthday boy. Keith raised his eyebrow when he saw Allura and Shiro standing in the far corner, no doubt just chatting it up before they were interrupted by the celebration.

“So, two things.” Pidge started, obviously trying not to look in the direction of her crush. “First, where the hell were you? And second, how old are you turning? Nobodies filled me in yet.” She asked. He was dancing around the question ever since he found out it was Lance’s birthday. He was curious who was the older of the two. Lance chuckled, somewhat pale at his memory of the day.

“It’s a long story. Just got kidnapped by my ex and whatever.” He flexed his muscles, shooting a wink at Allura. Everyone rolled their eyes, except for Matt who just smiled. “I got away, obviously. Yeah, I’m too badass to get taken down.”

“Sure. While you were screaming and running like a chicken with it’s head cut off, I was the one who saved your ass.” Keith pointed out, earning an offended look from him.

He then tilted his head with a half grin, expression changing easily from hurt to flirty. “You have to admit it’s a nice ass, though.” He then hip bumped Keith, the mullet haired boy’s face burning a bright shade of red. He turned away while crossing his arms.

“You never answered Pidge. How old are you now?” He looked back to him, a wide grin plastered on his face.

“Shit!” Keith cursed, earning a chuckle from Pidge.

“What, is Lance older than you?” She asked, leaning in her chair while she pushed the rim of her glasses.

“Ugh, yes.” He answered, the thought itself irritating him. “He’s 21 now, and I’m still 20.” God, he felt so confused. One moment he wanted to punch the man in the face, then the next he felt like grabbing it. Lance whooped, Hunk and him high fiving.

“Awe, Keith is just a baby!” Lance tapped the top of his head a few times and Keith fought the urge to swat it away.

“Only by a few months. Oh yeah,” Keith reached into his jean pocket, pulling out the store wrapped present. “This is for you. Happy Birthday, Lance.” Lance's eyes grew wide as he handed it to him.

“Keith, you didn’t have to.” He paused, genuine shock in his face.

“I know. I just know what it feels like to not get anything for your birthday, not saying that this wasn’t a present or anything.” Keith wasn’t sure if he should explain himself anymore. From moving foster family to foster family, it was often they wouldn’t know his birthday. He spent almost half of his life not celebrating it because of that, so he felt obligated to get his friends birthday presents whenever he could. “Just open it.”

Lance smiled softly, tearing the blue wrapping paper. “Oh my God, Keith!” He beamed, jumping onto Keith for the tightest hug he’d ever experienced. “Is this so I’ll think of you whenever I go out?” Lance winked when he pulled away, making Keith blush yet again. He swore Lance had some sort of superpower, because he never blushed so many times in his life until they met.

Keith glanced at the present in Lance's hand, smiling as well. “No, but this one’s mine.” Keith grabbed the keychain of the small blue car, matching to the black motorcycle.

“Matching boyfriend chains?” Pidge commented, making Lance and Keith equally red. Keith ruffled his hair with an annoyed grin.

“You’ll pay for that.” He threatened light heartedly.

The conversation drifted eventually and they all sat at the table eating the birthday meal. At one point Pidge disappeared downstairs, coincidentally when Allura and Shiro began to flirt with each conspicuously. It was almost twenty minutes later when he decided to go see what she was doing. He left the joyful chatting group into the main room. The atmosphere changed immediately, almost physically feeling the shift in moods. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he saw a fluff of brown hair on the couch.

“Pidge?” He sat on the couch next to her. She had her knees curled up to her chest and was facing the direction away from him. She sniffed, took a sip of something in a red cup, and cringed afterward. “Are you drinking?” He asked, not sure whether he should bother her with a responsible adult act. She made a ‘pfft’ noise, shifting in her seat to face him.

“What, are you gonna take it from me?” Jesus, she was already drunk. He was pretty sure she only left twenty minutes ago.

“No, but it would be nice if you told me what was wrong.” She wiped a glossy part of her cheek, face contorting with a wrinkled forehead. A drop fell from her eye, each second passing another one easily slipped through. “No, no, no, don’t cry!” He shushed, grabbing her small hand. He was terrible with people who cried. He never knew what to do. Either they appreciated the comfort or shooed him away.

“I’m sorry, I just-- thought I would be over her already. She’s so special, I…” More tears fell out as she used her other hand to wipe them. She was talking about Allura, no doubt.

“I know… and, I know that this is a really cliche thing to say, but time really does heal wounds. Sometimes you never get over someone, but it will stop hurting, I promise you.” She nodded in response, pulling Keith into a hug.

“It just hurts so much right now. I’m just a stupid 17 year old that has a crush on a perfect woman. God, I’m such an idiot.” She wept.

“Pidge, that’s absolute bullshit.”

“What?” She squeaked, not letting go of him.

“Any girl would be lucky to have you. Allura is great, but she just isn’t the right one for you. And trust me when I say this, you will find someone who is probably more compatible with you. And you’ll fall in love, get married, and have amazing kids. You’ll have a fantastic family until you grow old. Oh, and I’ll always be here. Probably old, haggard and single, but I’ll always be here for you.” And he meant it. He knew the friendship they had would last forever, and he cherished it.

“Thankyou.” She whispered. He felt her warm tears on his shoulder soaking into his shirt. “I can’t really talk to anyone else about this, other than you and maybe Hunk. I’m not close with Lance, and honestly, I think I’d want to pummel him within five seconds.”

“I can see the issue there.” He smiled, rubbing her back lightly. “I know it’s sad, but I like that we can talk about this stuff too.” He felt her shoulders shake with another sniff.

“God, love fucking sucks.” She said with a small laugh. It was probably because of this whole situation. Sitting and crying about unrequited love with someone you only met not even a month ago.

A thud came from the bar. Keith let go of Pidge and looked over his shoulder. Lance was gripping his side, cursing under his breath. He looked angry, almost.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” He grumbled, taking a few bottles of liquor and red plastic cups. He seemed to hit his hip against the side of the counter.

“Um, it’s fine,” Keith said, somewhat confused at his harsh tone. Lance didn’t reply, only treading up the stairs with his arms full.

“What just happened?” Pidge questioned, cleaning her glasses with her sleeve. Keith shook his head.

“I’m not sure, but I really hope it’s not what I think.” He replied. Pidge gave a sympathetic look.

After a few minutes of calming down, Pidge was ready to go back upstairs. She didn’t even appear like she was just crying and self- medicating with a bottle of vodka.

“Katie!” Allura called her over, pulling her into a hug when she reached her. Pidges face grew a mix between a blush and wanting to cry again. “I have the greatest news!” She told her, Keith debating whether or not to stick around for support or not. He heard Hunk laugh fruitfully, catching his interest. As Keith turned into their conversation, Allura and Pidges voices turned into mumbles. He sat next to Hunk, with Matt on his right and Lance across from Keith.

“So, everyone's getting drunk without me?” He teased, reaching for a bottle and mixing it with sprite.

Hunk laughed again, smacking a hand on his back. “It’s a birthday party. Plus Lance is legal now, so it’s pretty much a rule.”

“I’m pretty sure you’re still underage, Hunk.”

“You are too.” He replied, glancing at the cup in his hand.

“Touche.” Was all he said, taking the first sip from his drink. He noticed Lance's lack of comments and turned to him. He was scowling, downing the rest of his drink. Damn, everyone was going hard tonight. Their eyes met and he glared, turning quickly to Matt. He smiled at him as if he didn’t just seem like the angriest person in the world.

“Hey, Matt. I want to make you a drink I think you’ll love.” He said standing. Matt waved his hands and shook his head with a smile.

“No, it’s okay. I have to drive Katie and I home later tonight.” He denied, Lance grabbing his arm.

“Come on, one is fine! After a couple hours you should be fine, right?” He insisted, Matt actually looking like he was contemplating the idea.

“Okay, fine.” He gave in, letting Lance pull him up from his chair.

When they left ear shot, Keith asked Hunk, “Hey, is Lance okay? He seemed a little…”

“Mad?” Hunk finished for him. “Yeah, when he came back upstairs he seemed like, fake happy. He insisted everyone to drink, and kind of just drank on the chair until you came back. Maybe it’s because we haven’t had cake yet. Do you think it’s because we haven’t had cake yet? It’s in the fridge, I can just go get it.”

“No, I don’t think that’s what it is.” He looked over to where Shiro, Pidge and Allura were standing. Pidge was smiling, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Shiro and Allura were holding hands, which didn’t surprise him. What did surprise him, was how put together the heartbroken girl appeared to be.

It was an hour later, and the sky was now a dark shade, the stars more visible. Hunk and Pidge were chatting together, both completely hammered. They seemed to laugh at almost everything they talked about. Keith was never sure what they were talking about, with their conversations being all over the place. The two lovebirds brought chairs near the end of the balcony and sat in their own little space, while Lance and Matt sat a seat away from them.  
Keith sat by himself near the door, drinking out of his red solo cup. They already had cake, which was probably the best cake he’d ever eaten. Hunk made it so there was no surprise there. Everyone actually seemed pretty happy while they sang, forgetting their own problems.

He still wasn’t sure why Lance was angry with him. He thought they were friends now. He took another sip of his drink. He was drunk, but definitely not as much as everyone else. They had a wobble in their step and poor Allura had a slight slur.

“Hey.” Keith jumped at Lance's voice. He stood next to him, not having noticed him crossing the room.

“Lance. What’s up?” He asked, sounding more unnatural than he hoped to.

“Someone brought sparklers but forgot to put them on the cake. Wanna try them out in the field?” He sounded more relaxed from before. Maybe he wasn’t in a bad mood anymore.

Keith nodded in response, standing from his seat with little elegance.

“We’ll be back in a bit.” Lance waved, grabbing the bag of sparklers and walking down the stairs. The walk there was awkward, to put it simply. Neither of them spoke as they walked over the grass, their surroundings pitch black. The night breeze was small, but refreshing to walk in. They reached about the middle of the field when Lance turned on his lighter and brought the flame to the sticks. They began to spark, with no surprise, and he handed one to Keith as he lit one for himself. The brightness lit their faces, Keith studiying the angles of Lance's face, and the way his shoulder moved and back muscles shifted as he walked. 

Keith took a step forward, his heartbeat increasing. He decided, finally, maybe he did have feelings for him. Maybe he did love the idea of spending time with Lance and felt giddy whenever their conversations became in sync and seamless. He rested a hand on his shoulder, the sparks the only sound as they looked into eachothers eyes. He felt a tad embarrassed that he had to angle his head up when he got closer, with Lance being a couple inches taller than him. Lances tan throat swallowed once, eyes bobbing from eyes to lips. Keith leaned forward slowly, watching to see if he would back away. He didn’t. Instead, he brought his head closer, closing his eyes with Keith. Their lips touched hesitantly and slowly, both waiting for the other to move closer. At the same moment, they pressed their lips fully against one another's.

It was both nerve wracking and intoxicating, the feeling he didn’t know he was yearning for the whole time. Lances fingers reached onto his back, tugging his shirt lightly. They kissed again, deeper than before. It was still slow and unsure as Keith pulled his fingers through Lance's soft hair. His mind was blurred as shocks traveled through his body. He let out a soft moan, surprising himself with his own reaction to the kiss.

Keith's chest was pushed, breaking them apart. He almost fell over but caught himself with the second step. He looked at Lance, whose expression was sad and almost betrayed.

“What’s wrong?” Keith asked, stepping forward. Lance backed away, shaking his head.

“This.” Was all he said before running back to where they came from, leaving Keith frozen in place and alone in the middle of the dark field. He felt tears prickle in his eyes and a burn in his throat. He stood for a good minute, unable to move as he felt his heart shattering from the inside.

What did he mean, this?! Maybe he misread the signals. Maybe Lance wasn’t into guys whatsoever, and he just ruined everything between them!?

No. Keith recognized the looks, the signs and signals. He wasn’t stupid and didn’t think he was oblivious. He turned to where Lance had ran, seeing his figure had disappeared completely. He drooped to the ground, the cold grass ruining his jeans with stains. Tears fell. Thick tears that made it unable for him to see forward, or even think. He stayed there unmoving, the sparkler burning out.

Cheers erupted behind him, full of laughter and joy. Everyone but Lance was running toward him with sparklers in hand. They all reached him and stopped. Pidge sat next to him, watching her sparkler burst and shrink. The rest of them danced in a circle, laughing at how they all tripped over their own feet.

“It’s hard when everyone around you is still the same. Their lives haven’t changed, haven’t been made harder. Even though you’re so sad.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “So sad you could drift away like sand and just die, while everyone is so happy and full of life.” She weaved her fingers through his. “Let’s get through this night together.” Keith nodded with a squeeze of her hand. They watched their friends dance without music under the starry moonlit sky.

Lance was probably sleeping on a couch or drinking alone. But he didn’t want to think about what he was doing, and he didn’t want to care. He pulled Pidge up from their slumps and forced her to dance with him. She tried to decline, but her healing laughs convinced him this would make the situation slightly better. Maybe it wouldn’t, but he had to try. They all danced together until they were too tired to even stand. So they layed on the grass and watched the stars.

\--------

Keith woke up coughing. His throat burned from dehydration. He slumped off the couch and stepped over Hunks sleeping body, cautious not to wake him as he walked to the bar. He poured himself a glass of water, chugging it down as he tried to ignore his pulsing headache. He rubbed his eye and scanned the room, smiling softly at his passed out friends. They were sprawled around the room, some sleeping on the couches, and a few on the ground.

He was right before. Lance was sleeping on the couch when they got back. Apparently, nobody realized Lance wasn’t in the field with them, other than Pidge and him. He felt bad, even though he should be upset with him. Not angry though, because feelings couldn’t be forced. But he still felt a tinge of pain in his chest when he looked at his sleeping body.

He decided to go outside because maybe some fresh air would do good for a hangover. It was a bad idea, he decided, when the bright sun hit his face. The warmth was nice but overbearing. Before he turned back inside, he heard faint voices down the next road. It sounded like Pidge and other people he didn’t recognize.

Without a second thought, he followed the voices until he turned the corner and saw her with three guys around her. She didn’t seem uncomfortable, but more angry or irritated. He was glad for that, but they were standing too close for him to standby. He got closer, hearing snippets of their conversation.

“I don’t think you guys are getting it.” She said with an annoyed tone, squeezing the handles of the few grocery bags in her small hand.

“I think that you’re just making up excuses.” One male said back to her, the others nodding in agreement. His face irritated Keith. With his half dyed red hair and piercings, he radiated trouble.

“Everyone knows that asexuality isn’t real. It’s just something that lonely people say when they know they won’t ever be with anyone.” The guy next to the first one added, fixing his baseball cap.

“Yeah. And saying you like girls is you just trying to get out easy. Come on, babe. Won’t you go out with one of us?” The third one said as he took a step closer, rolling up his cuffed sleeves.

Pidge rolled her eyes and made an annoyed sound. “Oh my god, would you just stop, you fucking shitheads?! Just fuck each other if you’re so damn horny!” Keith almost choked. He knew she swore, but this? He was proud, that’s for damn sure. The guys looked taken aback as well but quickly turned into anger.

Keith stepped next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder before they could reply. They were more pissed now, not just because they were offended by what she said. “So, what’s going on here?” Keith asked, not actually interested in what they had to say. The red haired guy scoffed.

“What do you want? Why don’t you mind your own business?”

“I would, but my friend seems to be troubled by your gross persistence, so we’ll get going now.” He tried to turn away, but a hand on his shoulder kept him in place.

“We’re talking to her.” He gritted, making Keith frown.

“Let us go, or I’ll beat the absolute shit out of you.” Keith threatened, not daring to remove his eye contact. For a moment they looked nervous, but simultaneously started to grin.

“I don’t think your puny ass could take all of--” Keith's knuckles stung as he swung his fist into the man's jaw. He fell, knocked out cold as the other two came for him. He pushed Pidge away and grabbed the baseball caps shoulder, kneeing him in the stomach and throwing him to the ground before he could even blink. Blocking a punch, he kicked him in the side, pushing him back onto the red haired one. Fancy shirt looked at Pidge, who didn’t run. Instead, she placed her grocery bags onto the ground.

“Keith!” She screamed as sharp pain struck against the back of Keith's head, sending him onto the cement. Luckily his fingerless gloves broke the fall (Never leave the house without them, kids). He turned in time to block the next punch, but the baseball cap guy was now on his right and swung his leg, kicking Keith in the stomach. Before he could kick again, Keith saw Pidge jump. She landed on the guys back, Keith feeling slightly impressed, and he cried out as she pulled his hair and hit his shoulders. That distracted the fancy shirt guy.

Keith swung his leg and kicked his ankles, knocking him to the ground with a thud. He tried to stand up again, but Keith pushed his side with his foot, making him land on the first guy he punched. He snarled, pushing himself off his friend. Pidge was thrown off the baseball caps back, landing roughly on the ground. She stood back up right away, the back of her hands bleeding.

“You prick,” he said, walking toward Keith again with fancy shirt. He brought his fists up, ready for their next move. They lunged forward as Keith did as well, adrenaline rushing through his bones.

The colours of blue, white and brown flashed before him, blocking his path. He stopped as Lance punched the guy on the left with a jump of sort, pushing the other one to the ground.

“Lance!” Keith shouted, the boy turning around. His ocean blue eyes were a storm in that moment, waves of anger and worry. His breath was heavy in his chest as it rose and fell, looking at Pidge and him.

“What's going on?!” He questioned furiously as the two boys swore, picking up the unconscious one and trudging away. He felt like there was an invisible wall, one he couldn’t break down.

“They weren't leaving Pidge alone,” Keith explained shortly, Pidge nodding in agreement.

“Yeah, Keith saved me. And you saved us, Lance, thank the computer lord.” She added, fixing her half crooked glasses. Lance picked up the grocery bags and handed them to her, walking past them with the same distant look.

“Your welcome. I guess you two can go on a date or something, then.” He shot, rubbing his fisted hand with a wince. Keith and Pidge shared a look, then followed him back to the building.

“How did you find us?” Inquired Pidge. Keith was curious too.

“I woke up when Keith left the room,” He replied, reaching the front door. “I'm sure everyone's awake too, you know from the screaming.”

He didn't realize they were being so loud, especially when they were down the street. They all walked in, the blinds now open to let in the light. Hunk turned on the oven in the bar/kitchen, testing to see if it worked. Allura had her head on the coffee table, eyes closed and breath heavy while Shiro sat next to her stretching. Matt stood up and made his way to them.

“Where were you guys?” Matt asked innocently, offering to take the full bags from his sister. She gave it to him and sat it on the table. Keith looked at Lance for anything to say. He said he could hear them from the room, right? He averted his gaze and walked into the kitchen.

“We just went to pick up breakfast and a few other things.” She told him, taking out the items. She had gotten eggs, bacon, bread, butter and a few other items that were almost half empty, like pepper, salt and a couple other various spices and sauces. He knew she had to have gone home to her dorm room to get some of the items, which means she took a bus or a taxi. There was a stack of newly bought toothbrushes and a tube of toothpaste, as well as a mix of coffee and coffee cream.

“Wow, Pidge! Right on. I’ll start the coffee!” Lance was now beaming, his entire mood shifted. He looked at the coffee pot and tilted his head. “Uh, does this work?” He asked, turning to the girl, her glasses glazed.

“Can water boil and freeze at the same time?”

“What-- what does that mean to me?”

She sighed, leaning on the counter. “Of course it works! If I got the entire building's electricity back, then I got the utilities to work.” Lance slowly nodded his head, as if he didn’t know how to reply.

“I’m not surprised, Katie. One day you’ll be able to do great things, maybe even work for NASA like me and Shiro.” Matt praised, rubbing the top of her head. She accepted it and smiled, fumbling with her fingers.

“That’s what I’m hoping.”

Matt took a step back. “Your hands are bleeding!” He pointed, grabbing the side of them gently. “Let me get my first aid kit.” He looked at Keith, not having noticed the huge mark on his face from the punch. “Ah, I’ll be back.” And he was within seconds, opening the kit. He helped patch them up and forced them to explain what happened. He was scared Matt would be angry with him, but in the end he wasn’t, but actually relieved he was there to help her.

Hunk grabbed the egg carton and brought it to the oven. “Is it okay if I start making breakfast? I’m kind of starving.”

“Oh yeah, totally. I couldn’t be more hungry.” She agreed, walking around the counter to help out. Matt followed her, opening the package of bacon. Keith watched as the siblings interacted. They joked with one another, held effortless conversations and even began to sing a song they both loved from when they were kids. It screamed relatives, almost like a punch to his face. It wasn’t sad or rude, but when Shiro joined them to help out, he felt like his world was caving in. He almost forgot Shiro worked with Matt for years now, and were probably as close as he and Keith were. The difference was Keith and Shiro actually grew up together. He was the closest person he had to a sibling-- no, a family. Shiro was his own representation of a family to Keith, and when he saw he had so many people that were close to him, it hurt more than he wanted.

Maybe it was because he was slightly hungover or because he was just rejected the night before, but he needed to leave the room before he spiraled into a depression. “Can I brush my teeth with one of these?” He asked Pidge, wanting permission before he took one of the many toothbrushes she bought.

“Yeah, of course!” She looked over her shoulder as she responded, then turned back to the preparation.

“Does the water happen to work in the washroom?”

“Well, I’m not a plumber, so I wouldn’t trust drinking it. Sure, the plumbing system works, but it's probably not safe to drink.” She explained, chopping something on a cutting board and handing it to Hunk.

“Duly noted. Thanks." He took the brush and paste and left with a plastic water bottle. Instead of going to the washroom, he went through the front door and around to the back. He used the bottled water to brush his teeth, looking at the field of dark green grass. A few people were walking their dogs while others were walking in pairs, a few jogging. There were no trails, but maybe it was a good thing sometimes. To run without a pattern or any familiarity with where you were going. Coffee could wait.

He spat and rinsed his mouth, setting everything down so the brush wouldn’t touch the ground. He was wearing his sleeping shorts and a T-shirt, but it would have to do. It was either those or jeans.

So he began to run. He let his arms and legs take over as the morning sun seeped into his skin, the wind pushing gently past him. He was happy he wasn’t near anyone in the moment because he let the tears fall down for once. Last night was different. Something had just happened, and he was drunk. He couldn’t remember the last time he cried, not over his real deep and internal issues.

He cried and stopped midway and collapsed, looking up to the sky. He watched the passing clouds and bright blue sky. He kept them open until it felt like the sun was burning through his eyelids, covering them with his elbow and panted at his short run.

He wished he had that. A childhood where he could enjoy himself with a family, joking and singing while making breakfast. God, he wished he stayed in a home long enough to even consider anyone family. To have a bond like that seemed impossible. When Shiro came into his life things seemed to be okay. But of course, his ‘family’ wasn’t happy with him again, transferring him to another foster home. They stayed close though, even with the distance.

Then Lance. Stupid, charming, overly flirtatious Lance who was so unapologetically himself that one could even admire him for all of his flaws. He never felt a bond like this before. He felt sort of a family bond with Shiro, but with Lance, it was something more. He never felt the shock of his fingertips when he felt someone's skin. It moved through his entire being. Lance was something else. They knew each other for only a short amount of time but felt like centuries.

\--------

A waft of bacon, eggs, and buttered toast flew into his nose when he stepped into the main room. Everyone sat around the table eating their breakfast and drinking their freshly made coffee. Hunk was still in the kitchen, making a plate.

“There you are!” Hunk greeted as he approached him. “Here,” He brought Keith the plate and a cup of hot coffee, cream already poured into it. “This’ll be good for the hangover.”

“Are you sure?” He hesitated before Hunk pushed it into his hands.

“Yes, there’s plenty more.” He wasn’t lying. Nearly the entire pan of eggs was full, a few stacks of toast left over, and of course a behemoth amount of bacon.

“Alright. Thankyou.” He watched Hunk pile food onto his plate. “You seem pretty up, though. No hangover?”

“Nope. I need at least ten drinks to feel something in the morning.” He explained, pouring a cup of coffee. The liquid steamed into the white mug.

“Well, I’m jealous.” He said, earning a chuckle from his friend. “Wanna switch? I’m not a fan of putting cream in.”

“Oh yeah, no problem. That one was made to my liking anyways.” They switched cups and made way to the others. “Also, I think I’d be shunned if I was a lightweight.” He added, the two of them sitting in front of the coffee table, placing their plates on it.

Keith laughed through his nose as he took a sip of the coffee, the comforting flavor working for his somewhat nauseated stomach. He glanced around the room. Pidge, Matt, and Lance were joking about something, the corner of their eyes crinkled as they tried not to spill coffee through their chuckles. Shiro was rubbing Allura's back, the princess like woman taking a sip from the mug sitting in her hands. Everyone seemed so content in that moment. Pidge wasn’t forcing herself to ignore Allura and Shiro, the problem just hadn’t occurred to her. It also seemed like she wasn’t worrying over her brother's opinion of her, or stressing because of schoolwork. Lance didn’t even seem to care about his throbbing knuckles, or what happened last night. Matt even stopped fretting over Pidges scraped up palms.

He let himself feel relaxed in those moments too, in hope to keep it like that forever. Until they all finished their breakfast, Matt and Shiro began to tell a story about their jobs. They teased them with an extraterrestrial rumor that spread between the colleagues, Pidge, Lance, and Keith on the edges of their seats. Allura and Hunk gave each other exasperated looks periodically throughout the stories.

It was right before lunch when they all decided to part ways. Everyone carpooled with each other, leaving Keith to go by himself. He watched as the car drove away with his friends and strapped on his helmet. Gravel scraped behind him, turning him around. Lance stood with his hand on his neck, eyes glued on his shoes.

“I thought you left with them,” Keith said with confusion. Lance kicked the road lightly, eyes still not meeting Keiths.

“Yeah, I thought we could talk. We should talk, I mean.” His voice seemed genuine enough, so Keith handed him an extra helmet.

“Alright. But let’s go somewhere else, okay? The dust here is starting to get to me.” He hopped onto his bike and started it up, the engine rumbling nicely. Lance nodded and sat behind him, cautiously holding onto him.

They drove for fifteen minutes until they reached the destination, the whole ride there silent and uneventful, apart from the pounding of Keith's heart. He had no idea what Lance had to say. He hoped it wouldn’t be salt to a wound. Maybe he would list off reasons why Keith isn’t his type, or that they just didn’t have chemistry.

Keith brought him to his favourite park. It always helped him to relax, and honestly, he needed it right now. His stomach turned as they walked onto the first pathway, only a few other people walking their dogs, or going for a jog and nature walk. A few minutes passed, and neither of them spoke, making the situation more awkward. He might as well go on and say something then.

“So, what did you--”

“I just wanted to--”

They said simultaneously, causing them both to jerk.

“Sorry, you talk,” Keith told him, shaking his head in dismissal.

Lance half sighed and laughed, fixing the sleeve of his baseball shirt. “Okay… er, I wanted to sort of explain myself I guess. I got pretty intense.”

“I don’t need to hear your excuses to try to make me feel better. It’ll actually make me feel worse about everything.”

“No, I’m not making excuses, I just want you to understand! I need you to know that you aren’t the problem here.” He began to walk backwards in front of him, stopping them both.

“It’s not you, it’s me. Whatever, Lance.” The words hurt as he spoke them, feeling his eyes begin to water. He forced himself to calm down, averting his gaze from him.

“Keith, stop it!” Shouted Lance, startling a woman passing them. “You’re not getting it!”

“Then explain it to me! Why did you push me away when you were the one who brought me outside?! Only me, Lance!” His voice cracked, the tears forming again in his dark eyes. “I thought-- I thought that I was reading the signs right and that maybe you were interested in me. God, was I wrong. Stupid and wrong.” Lance shook his head. “And why the hell did you bring up Pidge! About the two of us going on a date?” A tear fell, landing on the dirt path. “God, I’m an idiot.”

“No, you’re not.” Lance's voice came as a whisper, only aggravating Keith.

“Yes, I am! Why else would any of this be happening?!” He wasn’t sure what to do with his arms. He wanted to hit Lance, but the expression he was giving was oddly sad.

“Because I’m not good enough and I think I love you!”

There was a pause. A shift. Keith looked up to Lance, tears falling from his eyes rapidly. He didn’t know what to do as Lance wiped his cheeks.

Lance grabbed him by the arm and brought him to the side of the trail, standing between large trees, giving them shade from the scorching sun.

“What--what do you mean?” Keith asked, questions running through his mind.

Lance took a breath as if to prepare himself for his next words. “All my life, I’ve never really had a thing. Like, you have your bike, and your job, mechanic skills. You’re so…” He paused to think of a word. “Rooted. I sort of… float through life. I don’t have anything I’m passionate about. Sure, I swim and like to watch cool action movies, but I don’t have a thing. Hell, I’m in college but not for any real goal!” He grabbed his hair roughly, wiping his eyes with his other hand. His voice was coarse and unsmooth. “So, yeah. I’m not good enough for you, Keith. I’m not good enough for your love for conspiracy theories, your sarcastic humor, your confidence. Your stupidly perfect smile. And somehow your mullet works so, so fucking good on you. God… I’m sorry. You’re right when you said that I was the one who brought you to the field and that it had to be for a reason. When you were in front of me, and so perfect under the starlight, and then we kissed… How am I supposed to be with someone like you, if I’m just going to drag you down?”

He couldn’t believe what he heard. Lance. Lance fucking McClain. Thinks he’s not good enough for him?

“Goodbye, Keith.” Lance began to turn, but the collar of his shirt was grabbed, keeping him in place. Keith stood taller on his toes. His lips were against his.

“My hair is greasy!” Keith blurted when he pulled away.

“What?”

“Not now, but my hair is greasy like, most of the time.” Lance only looked more confused. “It’s because I sweat so much from work, jogging, and just plain laziness from not wanting to wash it. I’m also a hot head. I make rash decisions and even got kicked out of my high school when I was so close to graduating. I got kicked out because of those things.”

“Because of the greasy hair?” Lance teased, a small smile forming. Keith punched him lightly in the arm and rolled his eyes. 

“Shut up and let me finish.” He ordered in a playful tone. “I obsess over the smallest things, and it literally takes over my life. Like, I was convinced this one time that my neighbor was Bigfoot. Bigfoot, Lance, Bigfoot! I spent an entire year trying to prove my theory.”

Lance snorted, covering his mouth. It turned into a loud laugh from his chest as he grabbed onto Keith's shoulder. “Are you serious?!” He wiped his eye, tears from laughter now.

“Yes! I’m serious! What I’m saying is… We all have things about us we don't like. Qualities that make life a lot harder than it should be.” He took the hand on his shoulder. “I really, really like you, Lance. More than I would like to admit.”

“To the point of obsession?” Lance stepped closer, one eyebrow raised. His face no longer had the gleaming tear stains on his cheeks. Keith caught a few soft freckles sitting over the top of his tan skin.

“Maybe not to that point.” He said, Lance's fingers running through his hair, stopping at the back of his head. Their foreheads pressed together, eyes closed.

“Can I kiss you again?” Lance asked, angling his head to the side, his nose touching Keiths. He smiled, bringing his hand to Lance's cheek.

“Yes.” When he did, Keith mind swirled and heart raced. It felt like the sparklers from last night were inside of him. Everything went into place while simultaneously flying around. The kiss deepened. It was different from any other time he kissed someone. It was slow and teasing-- like they had the rest of their lives to kiss and didn’t need to rush.

“I can’t believe I almost keyed your car.” Keith reminisced, the two of them laughing at his sudden thought.

“Well, it sure brought us together, didn’t it?” Lance replied, weaving his fingers through Keiths.

“It sure did, handsome.”

Lance made a small scream. “Stop making me blush, mullet!” His face was turning red, and Keith's smile grew wider.

\--------

Keith was woken up by an ear rupturing song, the familiar voice bringing a smile to his face. He opened his eyes to the soft beam of sunlight that landed on his carpeted floor. He lifted himself out of bed, removing the warm bed sheets from his bare legs and made his way to the singing. It grew louder as he reached his bathroom. He opened the door to a room of steam and began to sing along to the lyrics.

Lance turned in surprise from the foggy glass shower and began to grin wildly. “Came to join me?”

“Shut up and go back to singing Beyonce.” He replied, doing exactly as Lance guessed.

**Author's Note:**

>   
>  My social media!  
> Tumblr: http://porcelain-heart-porcelain-soul.tumblr.com/  
> Twitter (Brookelpuff @brooke_hoglin): https://twitter.com/brooke_hoglin


End file.
